Hello, Mr. Tanaka. This is an explanation of the origin of the surname Tanaka, which is shared by your ancestors and friends.
Tanaka is the 4th most common Japanese surname in Japan.
The etymology is for rice fields and cultivation.
The surname “Tanaka” originates from geographical features or place names such as “in the middle of rice fields” or “near rice fields.” It spread widely across Japan, particularly in regions where rice cultivation flourished, resulting in a very large number of people bearing this name. While it was often adopted by people of peasant status during the Meiji era, it is also a distinguished surname tracing back to ancient noble clans, reflecting diverse origins.
- It is known that the Tanaka clan, an ancient powerful family within the Soga clan, had its base in Tanaka, Takaichi District, Yamato Province (present-day Tanaka-cho, Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture).
- The childhood name of the tea master Sen no Rikyū was Tanaka Yoshirō; his surname before taking the name “Sen” was “Tanaka.”
- Place names forming the roots of the Tanaka surname exist nationwide, including in Kai Province (Yamanashi Prefecture), Hitachi Province (most of Ibaraki Prefecture), and Mutsu Province (Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate, and Aomori Prefectures). Each connects to different lineages (such as the Seiwa Genji, Kanmu Heishi, and Uda Genji).
- Shiga Prefecture and Kyoto Prefecture have shrines named Tanaka Shrine, and shrines called Tanaka Inari Shrine exist throughout the country. Inari shrines are places dedicated to the god of rice harvests. It’s possible that people bearing the Tanaka surname were also associated with these shrines.
Clasificación de apellidos de estadounidenses de origen japonés (Oficina del Censo de EE. UU., encuesta de 1990)
| Apellido | Kanji | Suplemento | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tanaka |  |
4º en Japón |
| 2 | Yamamoto |   |
8º en Japón |
| 3 | Nakamura |   ・・・ |
7º en Japón |
| 4 | Watanabe |   ・・・ |
6º en Japón |
| 5 | Sato |  |
1º en Japón |
| 6 | Yamada |  |
12º en Japón |
| 7 | Kimura |  (escrito verticalmente) |
17º en Japón |
| 8 | Suzuki |   (escrito verticalmente) |
2º en Japón |
| 9 | Kato |  |
10º en Japón |
| 10 | Yoshida |  |
11º en Japón |
| 11 | Takahashi |  |
3º en Japón |
| 12 | Higa |  |
1.º en Okinawa , Japón |
| 13 | Kobayashi |  |
9º en Japón |
| 14 | Nakano |   ・・・ |
46º en Japón |
| 15 | Hayashi |  |
20 en Japón |
| 16 | Hashimoto |  |
24º en Japón |
| 17 | Saito |   ・・・ |
19º en Japón |
| 18 | Sasaki |  |
13º en Japón |
| 19 | Mori |   ・・・ |
22º en Japón |
| 20 | matsumoto |  (escrito verticalmente)  |
15º en Japón |
