Surname Watanabe - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Watanabe: What does the surname Watanabe mean?
The last name Watanabe is a fairly common Japanese surname, derived from the words 'wata' meaning 'above' and 'nabe' meaning 'the edge.' Together, these two words can be translated to mean 'edge of the plain'. This name is also believed to have originally come from the name of a village in Japan, located in the Yokohama Prefecture.
According to research conducted by Japanese surname experts, the last name Watanabe is most commonly found in the more northern regions of Japan, such as Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshu Prefecture. This name is also popular among the Ainu Indigenous people, which is believed to be the original descendants of Japan.
Historically, the Watanabe surname was closely associated with Samurai warriors. It is believed that a warrior clan leader by the name of Watanabe no Tsuna was the first known ancestor of this family name. Watanabe no Tsuna is mentioned several times in Japanese literature, where he is named for his bravery and strength as a warrior.
The Watanabe family is also believed to have a close relation with the emperor's family. Historically, the Watanabe family name was associated with warriors who served and protected the emperor and his royal court. The Watanabe surname has been in use in the Japanese language since at least the 11th century.
Today, the Watanabe family name is most often used as an honorific title (Watanabe-san). This is a polite way of addressing people with the Watanabe family name, such as family members, business partners, or acquaintances.
Order DNA origin analysisWatanabe: Where does the name Watanabe come from?
Watanabe is a common surname originating from Japan. It is believed to have originated in the Asuka period when a shōgun adopted the surname. The name Watanabe means either "fieldside" or "boundary side".
Today, it is one of the ten most common surnames in Japan. According to data from the 2000 census, the total number of people with this name was 1,362,511, accounting for 1.16% of the population. The most notable bearer of this name in modern times was the politician Watanabe Kazufumi, a former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. A large number of Japanese people with the surname Watanabe live in Japan, and increasingly in other parts of the world.
In the United States, population data from the 2000 census indicated that there were 3,566 people with the surname Watanabe. This number has likely grown since then. California, New York, Hawaii, and Illinois were among the states with the highest number of people with the name Watanabe.
There are also Watanabe communities in Brazil, Mexico, and Peru who are descendants of Japanese immigrants who arrived in the late 19th century and early 20th century. In Canada, more than 5,000 people had the surname in 2001, with the greatest concentrations in Ontario and British Columbia.
Overall, Watanabe can be found in Japan and many other parts of the world today, reflecting the increased global mobility of people today.
Variations of the surname Watanabe
The surname Watanabe has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. It is viewed as a very ancient family name found throughout Japan. Common alternate surname spellings include Wada, Watana, Wataya, Watanashi, Watasaka, Watanuki, and, most commonly, Watanabe.
The root of the Watanabe surname is believed to have come from "wa", which in old Japanese meant 'peace' or 'harmony'. Therefore, Watanabe can be translated to mean 'peaceful dwelling'.
In Japan, Watanabe is considered to be a patronymic surname, meaning that its original bearer was the son of a man without a surname. Since "Wa" was such an important concept to feudal era Japan, the ‘Wa’ from Watanabe was often modified to create other similar sounding surnames, including Wada, which has a similar meaning of ‘harmony'.
Watanuki is the rarest of the surnames with the same origin and is derived from Watanabe, but has the meaning of 'gathering in the peace', which is a distinction from the more general 'peaceful dwelling'. This surname has an even more unique variant called Watanasa, which is considered to be a combination of the words ‘peace', ‘no’, and ‘so'.
Wataya is the surname with the closest meaning to ‘dwelling' within the ‘peace' context. Other Japanese medieval-era names such as Watasaka and Watanasi also carry similar meanings of 'peace', but differ in the second half of the root word.
The relatively small numbers of these different spellings of ‘Watanabe’ makes it difficult to know the exact origin of the surname and its various forms, though it's roots are certainly intertwined with Japanese samurai culture and the concept of 'wa'.
Famous people with the name Watanabe
- Hirofumi Watanabe: a Japanese politician and Member of the House of Councillors in the Diet (national legislature).
- Ken Watanabe: a Japanese actor who achieved international fame for his roles in The Last Samurai and Inception.
- Koshiro Watanabe: a Japanese ceramic artist who specializes in Satsuma Ware.
- Michio Watanabe: a Japanese physicist who was a member of the National Science Council of Japan and director of the Institute of Physics at the University of Tokyo.
- Mio Watanabe: a Japanese actress and singer best known as the voice of "Nagisa Kaname" in the Pretty Cure anime series.
- Makiko Watanabe: a Japanese actress who appeared in films such as Shall We Dance, Mirror of the Witch, and Hana-bi.
- Rieko Watanabe: a Japanese Olympic gold medalist in judo.
- Shingo Watanabe: a Japanese manga artist primarily known for his works in Shonen Jump magazine.
- Taizo Watanabe: a Japanese entrepreneur and energy businessman, known for his involvement in the telecommunications and renewable energy industries.
- Yoshiko Watanabe: a Japanese politician who served as Foreign Minister from 2002 to 2003.