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![Show Contents]() Tanaka Surname History
- Origins Available:
 Japan
The distinguished and ancient surname Tanaka comes from the Far Eastern land of Japan. The name is composed of two elements: "ta," meaning "rice paddy," and "naka," meaning "middle." Early Origins of the Tanaka familyThe surname Tanaka was first found in the Heian period, when members of the higher classes first began to assume surnames that were based on their occupations, their cities of origin, or a local feature of their places of residence. The name Tanaka was most likely originally assumed by someone living in the middle of a rice field. The aristocratic Tanaka family was instrumental during this early period, playing a major role in the development of a uniquely Japanese culture. Early History of the Tanaka familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tanaka research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the year 1867 is included under the topic Early Tanaka History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Tanaka Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Tanaka, Tanacka and others. Early Notables of the Tanaka familyProminent bearers of this surname in early times were - Odo Tanaka (b. 1867), a philosopher who promoted the Western philosophy of Pragmatism
Tanaka RankingIn the United States, the name Tanaka is the 3,565th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1 Migration of the Tanaka familySome of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Akitaro George Tanaka, a native of Fukuoka who died in Canada in 1928; Umekichi Tanaka, who arrived in California in 1899; Bunuyemon Tanaka, who settled in Hawaii in 1899.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Tanaka (post 1700) | + |
- Aiko Tanaka, famous Japanese-American model
- Thomas Tanaka, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Guam, 1988 2
- Casey Tanaka, American politician, Mayor of Coronado, California, 2008- 2
- Kakuei Tanaka (1918-1993), president of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party and prime minister of Japan during the reign of Emperor Showa Tenno Hirohito
- Kakuei Tanaka (b. 1918), Japanese politician
- Karen Tanaka, well-known Japanese composer from Tokyo
| Historic Events for the Tanaka family | + |
- Hidekazu Tanaka (1962-1988), Japanese Passenger from London, England, who flew aboard the Pan Am Flight 103 from Frankfurt to Detroit, known as the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 and died 3
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