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

Ozawa, 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 Ozawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ozawa in America

Ozawa is the 41886th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ozawa surname appeared 519 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 Ozawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ozawa 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 Ozawa

The surname Ozawa originates from Japan and is believed to have roots dating back to the 8th century CE. It is a locational surname, derived from the town of Ozawa in the Shizuoka Prefecture region of central Japan. The name Ozawa likely comes from the Japanese words "o" meaning "big" and "zawa" meaning "marsh" or "swamp", suggesting the name may have referred to a large marshland area.

Early examples of the Ozawa surname can be found in historical records from the Kamakura period (1185–1333 CE). During this time, the Ozawa family established themselves as a prominent samurai clan in the Shizuoka region. Notable members of the clan included Ozawa Masanori, a skilled archer who fought in the Genpei War in the late 12th century.

In the Edo period (1603–1867 CE), the Ozawa clan continued to hold influence and landholdings in Shizuoka. Records from this era mention Ozawa Sadataka, a daimyo (feudal lord) who governed the Izu Peninsula region in the early 17th century.

As the surname spread across Japan, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Ozawa, Oozawa, and Ozawa. Some branches of the Ozawa family also adopted different kanji characters to represent their name, reflecting the complex writing system of Japanese.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Ozawa surname. These include Ozawa Roan (1723–1801), a celebrated Edo period painter known for his intricate bird and flower paintings. Ozawa Seiji (1844–1903) was a prominent educator and advocate for modern Western-style education in Japan during the Meiji era.

In more recent times, the conductor Ozawa Seiji (born 1935) has brought international recognition to the Ozawa name. He served as the musical director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1973 to 2002 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century.

While the Ozawa surname has its roots in Japan, it has spread globally through migration and cultural exchange. Individuals with the surname can now be found in many countries around the world, carrying on the legacy of this historic Japanese name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ozawa

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

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 Ozawa 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 Ozawa 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 Ozawa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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