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Arakawa Family History

Arakawa Surname Meaning

Japanese: written 荒川 ‘wild river’. It is a topographic name probably referring to the Arakawa River which drains the Kantō Plain into Tokyo Bay.

There are other rivers of the same name. This surname is mainly found in eastern Japan.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Arakawa family from?

You can see how Arakawa families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Arakawa family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1911 and 1920. The most Arakawa families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there was 1 Arakawa family living in British Columbia. This was 100% of all the recorded Arakawa's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Arakawa families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Arakawa 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 Arakawa ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Helper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Arakawa. 31% of Arakawa men worked as a Laborer and 28% of Arakawa women worked as a Helper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Arakawa were Coproprietor and Trimmer.

View Census Data for Arakawa | 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, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    31%
  • Farmer
    10%
  • Proprietor
    9%
  • Coproprietor
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Helper
    28%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Ironer
    12%
  • Trimmer
    12%

What Arakawa family records will you find?

Census Records

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

Search Canadian census records for Arakawa

Passenger Lists

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

View all Arakawa immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 457 military records available for the last name Arakawa. For the veterans among your Arakawa ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Arakawa military records

You've only scratched the surface of Arakawa family history

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What is the average Arakawa lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Arakawa life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 1973. The average life expectancy for Arakawa in 1958 was 71, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Arakawa

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Arakawa 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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