Sawada last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Sawada

A locational surname indicating one's origin from a sawmill town.

Sawada, 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 Sawada surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sawada in America

Sawada is the 51066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sawada surname appeared 408 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 Sawada.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sawada 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 51066 47485 7.27%
Count 408 420 -2.90%
Proportion per 100k 0.14 0.16 -13.33%

The history of the last name Sawada

The surname Sawada originated in Japan and can be traced back to the early 8th century CE. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "sawa," meaning "marsh" or "swamp," and "da," meaning "rice field." This suggests that the name likely originated from a geographic location or region characterized by marshlands or wetlands suitable for rice cultivation.

During the Heian period (794-1185 CE), the Sawada clan emerged as a prominent samurai family in the Kanto region of eastern Japan. Historical records from this era mention several notable figures bearing the Sawada name, including Sawada Nobuyuki (1050-1122), a skilled military strategist who served under the Minamoto clan during the Genpei War.

In the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Sawada clan continued to play an influential role in the region's affairs. One notable figure was Sawada Masatomo (1205-1278), a skilled archer and warrior who fought alongside the Hojo clan during the Mongol invasions of Japan in the 13th century.

The Sawada name is also found in ancient Japanese literature and manuscripts, such as the "Taiheiki" (Chronicle of Great Peace), a 14th-century military chronicle that chronicled the events of the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392 CE). This work mentions Sawada Nobusada (1310-1378), a skilled military commander who fought in the wars between the Northern and Southern Courts.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Sawada clan continued to serve as samurai retainers under various daimyo (feudal lords) across Japan. One notable figure from this era was Sawada Nobutaka (1629-1702), a skilled swordsman and martial artist who authored several influential treatises on swordsmanship and strategy.

Other notable individuals with the Sawada surname include Sawada Shuzo (1892-1929), a renowned Japanese sculptor and woodcarver known for his intricate and detailed works, and Sawada Masumi (1929-2008), a celebrated Japanese novelist and essayist whose works explored themes of identity, gender, and societal norms.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sawada

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

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 Sawada was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 8.09% 33
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 83.82% 342
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 6.13% 25
Hispanic Origin 1.72% 7

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 Sawada has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 8.09% 7.14% 12.48%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 83.82% 86.19% -2.79%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races 6.13% 4.52% 30.23%
Hispanic 1.72% 2.14% -21.76%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Sawada last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/sawada-surname-popularity/.

"Sawada last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/sawada-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

Sawada last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/sawada-surname-popularity/.

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