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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Japanese : meaning ‘chestnut plain’; the surname is borne by several different families. One is descended through the Nakatomi clan from a family of the ancient Korean kingdom of Paekche and is listed in the Shinsen shōjiroku. Another is descended from the Seiwa-Genji through the Takeda family, and a third from the Taira clan through the Chiba family. There are other bearers of this surname, which is found chiefly in Tōkyō area, whose origins are unclear.

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