Explore the Family Name Kitagawa
The meaning of Kitagawa
Japanese: written 北川 or 北河 ‘northern river’. It is found mostly in western Japan and Okinawa. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Kenji, Yoshito, Keigo, Kumiko, Mitsuo, Mutsuo, Shuichi, Akiko, Akio, Akira, Chiaki, Chie.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kitagawa in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Kitagawa declined slightly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 31,658th most popular surname, dropping to the 33,196th place by 2010, a decrease of approximately 4.86%. The actual count of individuals with this surname remained fairly stable over the decade, decreasing by just 0.14% from 690 in 2000 to 689 in 2010. This slight decrease resulted in a fall in the proportion of people named Kitagawa per 100k population by 11.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,658 | #33,196 | -4.86% |
| Count | 690 | 689 | -0.14% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.26 | 0.23 | -11.54% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kitagawa
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Kitagawa also saw changes during this period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In the year 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for 81.45% of the total. However, this percentage fell to 77.07% by 2010, a change of -5.38%. There was a notable increase in those identifying under two or more races, rising from 6.81% in 2000 to 9.58% in 2010, a significant increase of 40.68%. Similarly, there was an increase within the Hispanic demographic from 6.38% to 8.27%, a growth of 29.62%. However, the number of those identifying as Black went down, falling from 0.72% in 2000 to zero in 2010. There were no individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 81.45% | 77.07% | -5.38% |
| Two or More Races | 6.81% | 9.58% | 40.68% |
| Hispanic | 6.38% | 8.27% | 29.62% |
| White | 4.64% | 4.79% | 3.23% |
| Black | 0.72% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |