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

Shigeta, 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 Shigeta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shigeta in America

Shigeta is the 65964th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shigeta surname appeared 300 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 Shigeta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shigeta 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 Shigeta

The surname Shigeta originates from Japan and can be traced back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Japanese words "shige" meaning prosperous or flourishing, and "ta" meaning a rice paddy or field. Thus, the name likely referred to a prosperous rice farm or fertile land suitable for growing rice crops.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shigeta name appears in a land registry document from the Edo period, dated around 1630. This document lists several families with the Shigeta surname residing in the Niigata prefecture, which was a major rice-producing region at the time.

In the late 17th century, a samurai warrior named Shigeta Nobuyoshi (1647-1718) gained recognition for his bravery and military prowess during the Siege of Osaka Castle. He was rewarded with land and is considered one of the most prominent historical figures to bear the Shigeta name.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), the Shigeta family from Niigata produced several notable scholars and educators. Shigeta Masatake (1835-1924) was a renowned philosopher and author who wrote extensively on Confucian ethics and their application in modern Japanese society.

In the 20th century, the name gained further recognition with Shigeta Saburo (1896-1974), a celebrated actor and director in Japanese cinema. He is best known for his roles in classic films such as "The Life of Oharu" and "Ugetsu Monogatari."

Another notable figure was Shigeta Kazuo (1925-2010), a renowned architect who designed several iconic buildings in Tokyo and other Japanese cities, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office and the Suntory Museum of Art.

It is worth mentioning that while the Shigeta surname is primarily associated with Japan, there have been instances of it being adopted or used by individuals of other nationalities, particularly those with Japanese ancestry or connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shigeta

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

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

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

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