Frequency: (172)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Japanese: ‘fragrant river’; held by two families, one from Kagawa in Sagami (now Kanagawa prefecture), descended from the Kamakura branch of the Taira clan. The other family originated in Kagawa in Aki (now part of Hiroshima prefecture). In Okinawa, the name is written with characters meaning ‘deer river’.
GIVEN NAMES: Japanese 31%. Hiroshi (2), Masaru (2), Hiromi, Kenso, Kiyomi, Kiyoshi, Mayumi, Mitsuyo, Mutsumi, Noboru, Norio, Osamu.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
