Explore the Family Name Nakayama
The meaning of Nakayama
Japanese: written 中山 ‘central mountain’, a common placename. The surname is mainly found in western Japan and on the island of Okinawa. A few bearers descend from the northern Fujiwara clan. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Takashi, Hideo, Isamu, Noboru, Shigeru, Takao, Yoshiko, Yoshinari, Hiroshi, Kazuo, Keiko, Kenichi.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Nakayama in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Nakayama saw a decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname dropped from 17,030 to 18,734, marking a decline of 10.01%. In terms of actual counts, there was a slight reduction from 1,538 Nakayamas in 2000 to 1,465 in 2010, which is a 4.75% decrease. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased by 12.28%, from 0.57 to 0.5.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,030 | #18,734 | -10.01% |
| Count | 1,538 | 1,465 | -4.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.57 | 0.5 | -12.28% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Nakayama
When it comes to ethnicity, the majority of the people with the Nakayama surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. However, this demographic witnessed a decrease of 3.56% over the decade. Conversely, those identifying with two or more races showed an increase of 43.14%, and the percentage of Whites increased by 10.19%. The Hispanic representation remained almost steady with a minimal decrease of 0.85%. There were no documented changes in the Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native categories for this surname during this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 85.5% | 82.46% | -3.56% |
| Two or More Races | 6.63% | 9.49% | 43.14% |
| White | 5.2% | 5.73% | 10.19% |
| Hispanic | 2.34% | 2.32% | -0.85% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |