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Ogawa 小川 – Japanese surname

Ogawa (小川) is read おがわ and has 3 syllables. It is a family name. Written as 小川, the characters mean: little + stream. This reading can be written with at least 16 different kanji combinations (the 6 most common are shown below), with 5 to 15 strokes in total.

About the name Ogawa

Ogawa (小川) means small river or stream. It is easy to read and write, which helps explain its popularity.

How to write Ogawa in Japanese

Kanji	Reading	Literal meaning	Strokes
小川	おがわ	little + stream	6
十川	おがわ	ten + stream	5
小側	おがわ	little + side	14
及川	おがわ	reach out + stream	6
小河	おがわ	little + river	11
雄川	おがわ	masculine + stream	15

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

The kanji in Ogawa

小

little, small

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: ショウ Kun: ちい、こ、お

川

stream, river, river or three-stroke river radical

3 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: セン Kun: かわ

十

ten

2 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 1

On: ジュウ、ジッ、ジュッ Kun: とお、と、そ

側

side, lean, oppose, regret

11 strokes, taught in elementary school, grade 4

On: ソク Kun: かわ、がわ、そば

Ogawa in different scripts

Romaji	Ogawa
Hiragana	おがわ
Katakana	オガワ
Kanji (most common)	小川

Full name examples

Ayumi Ogawa (Japanese order: 小川歩美, おがわあゆみ)
Yurina Ogawa (Japanese order: 小川百合奈, おがわゆりな)
Yuki Ogawa (Japanese order: 小川結城, おがわゆうき)

How to pronounce Ogawa

Break it into 3 parts: o · ga · wa. Japanese has no stressed syllables like English, so say each part with the same length and the same weight. The 3 sound units are written おがわ.

Questions about Ogawa

What does Ogawa mean in Japanese?

Ogawa has no single fixed meaning: it depends on the kanji. The most common spelling, 小川, combines these meanings: little + stream. Other spellings include 十川 (ten + stream), 小側 (little + side), 及川 (reach out + stream).

How do you write Ogawa in kanji?

The most common way is 小川 (おがわ). It can also be written 十川, 小側, 及川, 小河, 雄川.

How do you write Ogawa in katakana?

Ogawa is オガワ in katakana and おがわ in hiragana.

How do you pronounce Ogawa?

Ogawa is read おがわ and has 3 syllables (morae).

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Themes: Nature

Other surnames that use 小

小: little, small

Koba 小場 Kobata 小端 Kobayashi 小林 Kogami 小上 Koike 小生 Kojima 小島 Kokawa 小川 Koke 小受 Komatsu 小町 Komiya 小宮 Komoto 小本 Komura 小村

Names with a similar sound

Oga 大加 Ogai 大海 Ogami 大上 Ogata 緒方

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