Find out how popular the last name Osawa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Osawa.

Osawa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Osawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Osawa in America

Osawa is the 86314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Osawa surname appeared 216 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Osawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Osawa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Osawa

The surname "Osawa" is of Japanese origin, believed to have emerged during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE) in Japan. It is derived from the Japanese words "osa" meaning "small" and "wa" meaning "a ring or circle", suggesting a potential connection to a geographic location or a family trade related to metalwork or jewelry-making.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Osawa" can be found in the Kamakura records from the late 13th century, where it appears as a reference to a samurai warrior named Osawa Nobumitsu, who served under the Hojo clan.

During the Muromachi period (1336-1573 CE), there are mentions of an Osawa family residing in the Echigo Province (present-day Niigata Prefecture), where they were known for their expertise in metalwork and sword-making.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Osawa name gained prominence with the birth of Osawa Roan (1601-1666), a renowned Neo-Confucian scholar and philosopher who served as an advisor to the Tokugawa shogunate.

Another notable figure was Osawa Arinori (1836-1916), a prominent statesman and diplomat during the Meiji Restoration, who played a crucial role in the modernization of Japan and served as the first Japanese ambassador to the United States.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Osawa name was also associated with several literary figures, including the novelist Osawa Shigeru (1884-1963), known for his works exploring social issues and the human condition.

In the field of art, Osawa Gako (1868-1936) was a celebrated nihonga (Japanese-style) painter, known for his depictions of traditional Japanese landscapes and scenes from classical literature.

It is worth noting that the name "Osawa" has also been associated with several place names in Japan, such as the town of Osawa in Akita Prefecture and the Osawa district in Hiroshima Prefecture, further underscoring the name's deep roots in Japanese history and geography.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Osawa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Osawa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Osawa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Osawa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Osawa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Osawa, please contact us.

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