Surname Hasegawa - Meaning and Origin
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Hasegawa: What does the surname Hasegawa mean?
The surname Hasegawa is of Japanese origin and is found most commonly among Japanese people. The literal meaning of Hasegawa is "long valley", derived from the combination of the two kanji characters "hase" and "gawa". Hase is a term referring to a long, narrow, and shallow valley, often with a river running through it. Gawa is a common word meaning "river".
In Japanese culture, having a surname that evokes a beautiful landscape is an honour, as these sorts of names indicate the family being connected to peace and serenity. Thus, it is thought that those with the Hasegawa surname may have lived near a scenic valley or river in the distant past.
Hasegawa continues to be a relatively common surname throughout Japan, though it is particularly common in the Tokyo area. As of 2001, the surname was ranked 15th in terms of commonality, appearing in approximately 0.6% of all Japanese households.
The Hasegawa surname has also spread to other parts of the world, from those who have emigrated or who have Japanese ancestry. Family names can be significantly important in one's own identity and cultural background, and it can provide an interesting insight into the lineage of a family.
Order DNA origin analysisHasegawa: Where does the name Hasegawa come from?
The last name Hasegawa is extremely common in Japan, where it ranks among the top 100 most common names. It is likely that the majority of people with the Hasegawa surname are of Japanese descent. Outside of Japan, the name Hasegawa can most commonly be found in Hawaii, California, and New York in the United States, as well as in other parts of North America and Europe.
The earliest known record of the Hasegawa surname is from the 8th century, when a man surnamed Hasegawa was deified as a Shinto deity. It is believed the name originated from a farming village in the Okayama prefecture of Japan. During the Edo period of the 17th century the Hasegawa clan became prominent, and the family grew and spread in both Japan and overseas.
Due to strong ties to their homeland, the Japanese diaspora who chose to emigrate kept their Hasegawa surname rather than adopting a foreign name. Thus the name began to spread around the world, from the United States to Canada, South America, Europe, and Australia. Today, descendants of the Japanese diaspora continue to bear the last name Hasegawa, and it remains one of the most common surnames in Japan.
Variations of the surname Hasegawa
The surname Hasegawa has many variants, spellings and surnames from the same origin. These variants originate from the Japanese language, as it is the most common nationality of those with this surname. Variations have developed over centuries and modern spellings often reflect different practices of Romanization in Japan.
Hasegawa is the most common and most well-known spelling of this surname. Some of the other variants include: Hasagawa, Hassagawa, Hazegawa, Hagisawa, Hachisawa, Hagesawa, Hageshawa, Hakesawa, Hageshira, Homenuwa, Hosogawa, and Hoshigawa.
Most modern surnames can be traced to a certain geographical area or region in Japan. As such, there are many regional variations of the Hasegawa surname such as Hamaogawa, Hamatani, Hatsuzawa, Herigesawa, and Hasutani.
Beyond just the Japanese language, there are also variants in other languages such as Korean, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese. For instance, in Korean the name is spelled Hasyegwa and in Chinese it is spelled Hasegua. In Portuguese, the surname is spelled Hassagava, while in Dutch it is spelled Hazegava.
All of these variants and spellings can be grouped under the same origin. However, some could be seen as completely different surnames, as they are taken from different languages. The surname Hasegawa is distinct and has numerous forms, making it a unique part of history.
Famous people with the name Hasegawa
- Masafumi Hasegawa: Award-winning Japanese Biochemist.
- Yutaka Hasegawa: Former professional basketball player in the Japanese Basketball League.
- Yuko Hasegawa: Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.
- Makoto Hasegawa: Former chief executive officer of Honda Motor Company.
- Hiroaki Hasegawa: Former Japanese footballer.
- Naoki Hasegawa: Japanese cyclist and Olympic medalist.
- Daisuke Hasegawa: Former Japanese judoka.
- Shinro Hasegawa: Former Japanese volleyball player.
- Junichi Hasegawa: Former Japanese footballer and manager.
- Aya Hasegawa: Japanese comedian and actress.
- Little G. Weevil: American blues musician born as Tatsuya Hasegawa.
- Go Hasegawa: Japanese architect.
- Hiroyuki Hasegawa: Japanese rower and Olympic silver medalist.
- Emi Hasegawa: Japanese voice actress.
- Chiaki Hasegawa: Japanese voice actress.
- Koichi Hasegawa: Award-winning Japanese physicist.
- Kenichi Hasegawa: Former Japanese footballer.
- Takahiro Hasegawa: Japanese baseball manager.
- Ayumi Hasegawa: Former Japanese idol singer, actress, and model.
- Yuki Hasegawa: Japanese curler and Olympic silver medalist.