Surname Sawada - Meaning and Origin
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Sawada: What does the surname Sawada mean?
The last name Sawada is a Japanese surname. Generally, it is believed to have originated from the Sawa clan, which began as a small family line in northern Japan around the 14th century. In Japanese, "sawa" means "bamboo river". The surname Sawada likely first appeared in the 12th or 13th century and may be related to other surnames with similar meaning, like the Sawaichi or Sawanomori clans.
The Sawada surname is typically written in kanji characters, rendered as 沢田. In Japanese the ‘sawa’ component of the name has multiple meanings but is broadly associated with symbolic references to flowing water, sloped land, fields, and jungles. Specifically, it often refers to a particular kind of lush greenery and is sometimes written with characters that suggest a shade of jade green.
The Sawada surname is not particularly common in Japan, identified by less than 10,000 people in 2020. However, it is prominently represented in the island prefecture of Okinawa, particularly in the southernmost part of the main island. It is also popularly found in Nara Prefecture, located in the Kansai region of Japan.
Outside of Japan, the Sawada surname has spread to other countries as a result of Japanese emigrant populations across the world. Countries with significant Sawada populations include the United States, Brazil, and South Korea.
Order DNA origin analysisSawada: Where does the name Sawada come from?
The last name Sawada is most common today in Japan. Sawada is derived from the Japanese kanji characters 沢田, meaning ‘swamp-field’. The name is most often found among people of Japanese descent, though it is found in other countries too.
In Japan, the Sawada name is estimated to be held by approximately 545,000 people, making it the 78th most popular Japanese surname. People with the surname Sawada can be found in all forty-seven prefectures of Japan. The prefectures of Aichi, Saitama, Tokyo, Osaka, and Shizuoka have the highest populations of Sawada. Tokyo has the highest concentration, with approximately 25,000 people with the last name Sawada living in the metropolitan area.
Outside of Japan, Sawada is primarily found among people of Japanese descent. In the United States, an estimated 5,000 people have the surname Sawada, primarily from California, New York, Hawaii, and Illinois. Similarly, in Brazil, people with the Sawada surname are mainly concentrated along the coast.
Beyond Japan and its diaspora, Sawada is also found in Canada, the Philippines, and some other countries in South America. With the continued emigration of people from Japan to different countries around the world, the Sawada surname is likely to continue to spread further.
Variations of the surname Sawada
The surname Sawada is a Japanese family name that is thought to refer to the topography or geology of a place, and is an original or patronymic surname, meaning it came from a family head. It is also seen as the variant given name Sadawara, and the given name itself may be spelled Sawara, Sadawara or sometimes as Sawada.
The most common spelling of Sawada is as Sawada in Japanese. However, the root of the name is thought to be from other cities or locations, leading to many variations of the surname. In Japan, some of these variations can also use different Kanji characters, adding a further element of complexity. Some of these variations include Sawatari, Sadatake, Sawata, Sadanaga, Sadahiro, Watari, Satsumai and Sayama.
Outside of Japan, Sawada is not commonly seen, and is often transliterated, leading to additional variations. In the United States, for example, Sawada and its variants, are often seen as Sauder, Sauter, Sowder, Saver, Sawa and Sawer. In Europe, some variants of Sawada can be seen as Soudard, Soudiere, Soudario and Savoux.
In short, the surname Sawada has multiple variations and spellings, both within Japan and abroad. Some of these variations have different Kanji characters, while others follow a transliteration of the name. Some of the most commonly seen variants include Sawatari, Sadatake, Watari, Sauder, Sauter and Sowder.
Famous people with the name Sawada
- DJ Sawa (real name Takahiro Sawada), Japanese-English DJ and record producer
- Koji Sawada, Japanese singer-songwriter and composer
- Makoto Sawada, Japanese actor, known for his roles in Kamen Rider Amazon and Eworkman
- Geneviève Sawada, French model and chairwoman of the Tokyo-based ID Photo Label fashion label
- Marina Sawada, Japanese-Brazilian actress, model and former singer
- Taro Sawada, Japanese voice actor
- Miyu Sawada, Japanese voice actress
- Takashi Sawada, Japanese actor and former singer
- Hitomi Sawada, Japanese Super GT racer
- Ryuki Sawada, Japanese rhythmic gymnast