Home / Last names / Nakagawa

Nakagawa 中川 – Japanese surname

Nakagawa (中川) is read なかがわ and has 4 syllables. It is a family name. Written as 中川, the characters mean: in + stream. This reading can be written with at least 10 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 7 to 15 strokes in total.

About the name Nakagawa

Nakagawa (中川) means middle river, often a settlement between two rivers.

How to write Nakagawa in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
中川	なかがわ	in + stream	7
中側	なかがわ	in + side	15
中沢	なかがわ	in + swamp	11
中河	なかがわ	in + river	12
水谷	なかがわ	water + valley	11
仲川	なかがわ	go-between + stream	9

Meanings are literal translations of each kanji. Names are often chosen for sound, so the intended meaning can differ.

The kanji in Nakagawa

中

in, inside, middle, mean

4 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: チュウ Kun: なか、うち、あた

川

stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: セン Kun: かわ

側

side, lean, oppose, regret

11 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: ソク Kun: かわ、がわ、そば

沢

swamp, marsh, brilliance, grace

7 strokes, taught in secondary school

On: タク Kun: さわ、うるお、つや

Nakagawa in different scripts

Romaji	Nakagawa
Hiragana	なかがわ
Katakana	ナカガワ
Kanji (most common)	中川

Full name examples

Ayumi Nakagawa (Japanese order: 中川歩美, なかがわあゆみ)
Yurina Nakagawa (Japanese order: 中川百合奈, なかがわゆりな)
Yuki Nakagawa (Japanese order: 中川結城, なかがわゆうき)

How to pronounce Nakagawa

Break it into 4 parts: na · ka · ga · wa. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 4 sound units are written なかがわ.

Questions about Nakagawa

What does Nakagawa mean in Japanese?

Nakagawa has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 中川, combines these meanings: in + stream. Other spellings include 中側 (in + side), 中沢 (in + swamp), 中河 (in + river).

How do you write Nakagawa in kanji?

The most common way is 中川 (なかがわ). It can also be written 中側, 中沢, 中河, 水谷, 仲川.

How do you write Nakagawa in katakana?

Nakagawa is ナカガワ in katakana and なかがわ in hiragana.

How do you pronounce Nakagawa?

Nakagawa is read なかがわ and has 4 syllables (morae).

Share: X Facebook Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp

Themes: Nature

Other surnames that use 中

中: in, inside, middle

Hiroka 田中 Inaga 井中 Kanaga 加中 Konaka 小中 Manaka 間中 Nakae 中得 Nakagami 中上 Nakai 中相 Nakajima 中島 Nakajo 中場 Nakama 中間 Nakamasu 中増

Names with a similar sound

Nakae 中得 Nakagami 中上 Nakai 中相 Nakajima 中島 Nakajo 中場 Nakama 中間 Nakamasu 中増 Nakamura 中村 Nakano 中野 Nakashima 中島

Similar last names by meaning

Agata 安方 Aida 会田 Aijima 会島 Aikawa 会川 Aishima 会島 Akagi 明木 Akaki 明木 Amagai 天海