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Nishikawa Family History

Nishikawa Surname Meaning

Japanese: written 西川 ‘western river’. It is mainly found in western Japan and the Ryūkyū Islands.

A less common alternative reading Saikawa is from eastern Japan.

A few bearers are of samurai origin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Nishikawa family from?

You can see how Nishikawa families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Nishikawa family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Nishikawa families were found in USA in 1920. In 1920 there were 37 Nishikawa families living in California. This was about 48% of all the recorded Nishikawa's in USA. California had the highest population of Nishikawa families in 1920.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Nishikawa surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Nishikawa ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Farm Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Nishikawa. 23% of Nishikawa men worked as a Farmer and 42% of Nishikawa women worked as a Farm Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Nishikawa were Cook and Teacher.

View Census Data for Nishikawa | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Carpenter
    11%
  • Cook
    9%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Farm Laborer
    42%
  • Helper
    25%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Teacher
    17%

What Nishikawa family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Nishikawa. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Nishikawa census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Nishikawa

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Nishikawa. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Nishikawa immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 729 military records available for the last name Nishikawa. For the veterans among your Nishikawa ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Nishikawa military records

You've only scratched the surface of Nishikawa family history

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What is the average Nishikawa lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Nishikawa life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1971, and highest in 1996. The average life expectancy for Nishikawa in 1959 was 61, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Nishikawa

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Nishikawa ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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