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

Tagawa, 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 Tagawa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tagawa in America

Tagawa is the 56195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tagawa surname appeared 364 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 Tagawa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tagawa 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 Tagawa

The surname Tagawa has its origins in Japan. It is thought to have emerged during the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in the Kansai region, which includes the cities of Kyoto and Osaka. The name is derived from the Japanese words "ta" meaning rice field and "gawa" meaning river, suggesting it may have referred to someone living near a river with rice fields.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tagawa can be found in the Azuma Kagami, a historical chronicle from the late 12th century, which mentions a samurai warrior named Tagawa Sadamune. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Tagawa family established itself as a prominent samurai clan in the Kansai region.

In the 15th century, a Buddhist monk named Tagawa Shunko (1441-1517) became known for his calligraphy and poetry. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and is credited with establishing a distinct style of calligraphy known as "Tagawa-ryu."

During the Sengoku period (1467-1603 CE), a daimyo (feudal lord) named Tagawa Nobumoto (1546-1603) ruled over the Tagawa Domain in present-day Fukuoka Prefecture. He was a skilled military strategist and played a significant role in the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate.

In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Tagawa family continued to hold significant influence and produced several notable figures. One such figure was Tagawa Doan (1677-1736), a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of Confucian studies.

Another notable individual with the surname Tagawa was Tagawa Shun'oku (1796-1866), a renowned painter and calligrapher who lived during the late Edo period. He is particularly known for his depictions of landscapes and bird-and-flower motifs, and his works are highly regarded in the world of Japanese art.

While the surname Tagawa has its roots in Japan, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, including the United States and other countries with significant Japanese diaspora populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tagawa

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

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

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

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