Explore the Family Name Kagawa

The meaning of Kagawa

Japanese: written 香川 ‘fragrant river’. Held by two families, one from Kagawa in Sagami (now Kanagawa prefecture), descended from the Kamakura branch of the Taira clan. The other family originated in Kagawa in Aki (now part of Hiroshima prefecture). It is sometimes written phonetically 賀川 or 加川. In Okinawa, the name is written 鹿川 ‘deer river’. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Hiroshi, Masaru, Hiromi, Kenso, Kiyomi, Kiyoshi, Mayumi, Mitsuyo, Mutsumi, Noboru, Norio, Osamu.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kagawa in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Kagawa has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name dropped from 41596 in 2000 to 43811 in 2010, a 5.33% decrease. The actual count of individuals with this surname also showed a slight decline, going from 493 people in 2000 down to 492 in 2010, marking a 0.2% drop. Proportionally, out of every 100k people, those bearing the Kagawa surname went from 0.18 in 2000 to 0.17 in 2010, indicating a 5.56% decrease.

20002010Change
Rank#41,596#43,811-5.33%
Count493492-0.2%
Proportion per 100k0.180.17-5.56%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kagawa

As for the ethnic identity associated with the Kagawa surname, there was a noticeable shift between 2000 and 2010. The Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority of people with this surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, although this proportion has decreased from 86.82% in 2000 to 79.88% in 2010. Interestingly, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races significantly increased from 6.49% to 11.18%, showing a 72.27% rise. There is also a growing number of Kagawas identifying as White (50.35% increase) and Hispanic (22.47% increase). However, the proportions of Kagawas identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native remained at zero in both years.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander86.82%79.88%-7.99%
Two or More Races6.49%11.18%72.27%
Hispanic3.65%4.47%22.47%
White2.84%4.27%50.35%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%