Okinawan family name

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Okinawan family names represent the distinct historical and cultural background of the islands which now comprise Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Expatriates originally from Okinawa also have these names. As in mainland Japan, Okinawan names are written with the family name (surname or last name) first and the given name last.

1 Overview
2 Top 10 popular Okinawan family names
3 References
4 External links
5 See also

[edit] Overview

唐名 Chinese style name		大和名 Yamato name (Japanese style)
姓 Surname	諱 Formal given name	采地名 Domain name	称号 Title/Rank	名乗 Name
向 Shō	象賢 Shōken	羽地 Haneji	按司 Anji	朝秀 Chōshū

Names used prior to the unification of Okinawa Island in 1429 and the establishment of the Ryūkyū Kingdom remain largely unknown to today's scholars, but are assumed to have represented native Ryukyuan origins, unlike later names which reflect the Chinese and Japanese influence upon the islands. During the rule of the second Shō Dynasty (第二尚氏王統, 1470-1879), the royal family and aristocrats held both Chinese style names and Yamato names (Japanese style), in the following structure.

唐名 Chinese style name : 姓 Surname＋諱 Formal given name
大和名 Yamato name (Japanese style) : 采地名 Domain name ＋称号 Title/Rank ＋名乗 Name

For example, in the case of 向象賢・羽地按司朝秀 (Shō Shōken, Haneji Anji Chōshū), Shō Shōken was his Chinese style name, which was used for diplomatic correspondence with Chinese dynasties, and Haneji Anji Chōshū was his Yamato name, used for diplomacy within Japan. The Yamato name was comprised of the bearer's rank, the name of his domain, and his name; Chōshū was anji of the territory known as Haneji. If he had been moved to a different domain, his name would have changed accordingly.

Japan's Satsuma Domain, of which the Ryūkyū Kingdom was a vassal from 1609-1871, instituted a ban on the use of Japanese style names (大和めきたる名字の禁止, Yamato mekitaru meiji no kinshi^?) in 1624. As a result, the kanji used to write domain names changed from characters that reflected Japanese linguistic influence to new, unique character combinations. For example, the name 東 higashi was often changed to 比嘉 Higa or 比謝 Hija.

The Japanese system of feudal domains (han) was abolished by the Meiji government in 1871, and the Ryūkyū Kingdom was formally annexed by Japan in 1872. Okinawans were then entered into the Japanese family register (koseki) system and, as in mainland Japan, surnames were extended to all citizens, no longer being the province of the aristocratic classes alone. A large number of the names created at this time were taken from geographical names or places of residence.

[edit] Top 10 popular Okinawan family names

This top 10 list^[1] is based on the name as written in Kanji. Since the Japanese language allows for multiple possible "readings (pronunciations)" for each Chinese character, the reading of Okinawan family names written with the same characters varies.

Kanji	Readings	Well-known people
比嘉	Higa, Fija, Fīja	比嘉栄昇 Eisho Higa (Begin)
金城	Kaneshiro, Kinjou, Kanagusuku	金城武 Takeshi Kaneshiro, 金城綾乃 Ayano Kinjou (Kiroro)
大城	Ōshiro, Uhugusuku	大城バネサ Vanesa Oshiro
宮城	Miyagi, Nāgusuku	ミヤギマモル Mamoru Miyagi
新垣	Aragaki, Arakaki, Shingaki, Niigaki	新垣結衣 Yui Aragaki, 新垣里沙 Risa Niigaki (Morning Musume)
玉城	Tamaki, Tamashiro, Tamagusuku	玉城幸也 Yukinari Tamaki (Da Pump), 玉城千春 Chiharu Tamashiro (Kiroro)
上原	Uehara, Uībaru	上原多香子 Takako Uehara (ex-SPEED)
島袋	Shimabukuro, Shimabuku	島袋寛子 Hiroko Shimabukuro (ex-SPEED), Jake Shimabukuro
平良	Taira, Tīra	平良とみ Tomi Taira
山城	Yamashiro, Yamagusuku	山城智二 Tomoji Yamashiro (FEC)