Explore the Family Name Yamakawa
The meaning of Yamakawa
Japanese: written 山川 ‘mountain river’. It is listed in the Shinsen shōjiroku as 山河 with the same meaning and found mostly in western Japan, though the entire country is filled with mountains and rivers. An alternative pronunciation is Yamagawa. Some characteristic forenames: Japanese Hiroshi, Takeshi, Yoshiko, Akemi, Akio, Akira, Ayumu, Hidehiro, Hisashi, Isao, Jiro, Junya.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Yamakawa in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Yamakawa has seen slight fluctuations in its popularity during the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Yamakawa was ranked 58,397th in terms of prevalence and had a count of 325 bearers. By 2010, the rank had slipped to 60,960 with a minor increase in the count to 330, denoting a small growth of 1.54%. The proportion of this surname per 100k people also decreased by 8.33%, from 0.12 in 2000 to 0.11 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #58,397 | #60,960 | -4.39% |
| Count | 325 | 330 | 1.54% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.12 | 0.11 | -8.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Yamakawa
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals shifts in the ethnic identity of individuals bearing the surname Yamakawa between 2000 and 2010. The majority of Yamakawa bearers were identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, though this percentage dipped from 88.62% in 2000 to 79.09% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races rose significantly from 6.15% to 10.00%, while the Hispanic representation also saw a substantial increase from 1.54% to 6.97%. The proportion of Yamakawa bearers who identified as white slightly increased from 3.69% to 3.94%. No changes were recorded for those identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 88.62% | 79.09% | -10.75% |
| Two or More Races | 6.15% | 10% | 62.6% |
| Hispanic | 1.54% | 6.97% | 352.6% |
| White | 3.69% | 3.94% | 6.78% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |