Explore the Family Name Nakanishi

The meaning of Nakanishi

Japanese: written 中西 ‘center of the west’. It is a habitational name taken from villages in Yamato (now Nara prefecture), Bizen (now part of Okayama prefecture), and others. Mostly found in western Japan and Okinawa. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Hiroshi, Toru, Toshio, Atsuko, Hideyuki, Isao, Kazuhiko, Koji, Makoto, Masanobu, Shinichi, Tetsuo.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Nakanishi has seen a slight decline from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Nakanishi was ranked at 27,475 in terms of popularity but dropped to 28,176 in 2010, marking a 2.55% decrease. However, the count of individuals with this surname actually increased by 2.78%, growing from 826 people in 2000 to 849 people in 2010. Despite this increase in count, the proportion per 100k fell by 6.45%.

20002010Change
Rank#27,475#28,176-2.55%
Count8268492.78%
Proportion per 100k0.310.29-6.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nakanishi

In regards to ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, the majority of individuals with the Nakanishi surname have primarily identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, although there has been a 7.04% decrease from 81.48% in 2000 to 75.74% in 2010. The percentage of Nakanishis identifying with two or more races saw an increase of 27.66%, rising from 9.69% in 2000 to 12.37% in 2010. There's also been a notable increase in those identifying as White, jumping by 44.04% to reach 9.42% in 2010. The proportion identifying as Hispanic experienced a slight dip of 2.61%. No Nakanishis identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander81.48%75.74%-7.04%
Two or More Races9.69%12.37%27.66%
White6.54%9.42%44.04%
Hispanic2.3%2.24%-2.61%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%