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

Takenaka, 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 Takenaka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Takenaka in America

Takenaka is the 50659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Takenaka surname appeared 412 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 Takenaka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Takenaka 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 Takenaka

The surname Takenaka originates from Japan and dates back to around the late 8th century AD. It is believed to have been derived from the Japanese words "take" meaning "bamboo" and "naka" meaning "inside" or "center". This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or physical location associated with bamboo groves or forests.

One of the earliest known recordings of the Takenaka surname can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an early Japanese chronicle that covers the period from 697 to 791 AD. The text mentions an individual named Takenaka no Mamoru, who served as a provincial governor during the Nara period (710-794 AD).

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD), the Takenaka family rose to prominence as samurai warriors and landowners in the Kanto region of eastern Japan. They were closely associated with the Hojo clan, who ruled as shoguns during this time. One notable figure was Takenaka Shigeharu (1240-1311), a skilled military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of Kamakura against Mongol invasions.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), several members of the Takenaka family held important positions within the Tokugawa shogunate. For example, Takenaka Shihei (1804-1867) was a renowned scholar and reformer who advocated for Western learning and helped modernize Japan's education system.

Other notable individuals with the Takenaka surname include Takenaka Torahiko (1839-1912), a pioneering physicist and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of seismology and earthquake-resistant construction techniques. Takenaka Hisato (1936-2004) was a respected architect and founder of the Takenaka Corporation, one of Japan's largest construction companies.

Throughout its history, the Takenaka surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Takenokawa (meaning "bamboo river") and Takenouchi (meaning "bamboo dwelling"). These place names suggest a connection to rural or forested areas where bamboo was abundant.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Takenaka

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

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

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

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