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

Shiga, 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 Shiga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shiga in America

Shiga is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shiga surname appeared 117 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 Shiga.

The history of the last name Shiga

The surname SHIGA has its origins in Japan, and the earliest records of this name date back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Shiga Prefecture, located in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu. The name SHIGA is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "shiga," which means "crystalline" or "clear."

One of the earliest recorded bearers of this surname was a renowned samurai warrior named Shiga Nobuyuki, who lived during the late 16th century. He served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate and played a significant role in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, which was a pivotal conflict that ushered in the Edo period of Japan.

Another notable figure with the surname SHIGA was the Japanese bacteriologist Kiyoshi Shiga, who was born in 1870 and passed away in 1957. He is renowned for his groundbreaking work in identifying the Shiga toxin, a potent bacterial toxin responsible for causing severe food poisoning and dysentery.

In the literary realm, the surname SHIGA was borne by the acclaimed Japanese novelist and essayist Naoya Shiga, born in 1883 and died in 1971. He is considered a pioneering figure in the Japanese literary movement known as "shishosetsu," which focused on semi-autobiographical fiction.

The name SHIGA is also associated with the city of Otsu, located in Shiga Prefecture. This city was formerly known as "Shiga" during the Heian period (794-1185 CE) and was an important political and cultural center in ancient Japan.

Another prominent bearer of the SHIGA surname was the Japanese painter and printmaker Kōshirō Shiga, who lived from 1869 to 1965. He was a renowned artist in the Nihonga style, which combines traditional Japanese techniques with Western-influenced compositions.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname SHIGA, a name with deep roots in Japan's cultural and historical landscape.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shiga

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

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 Shiga 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.

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

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

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