Surname Tamura - Meaning and Origin

Tamura: What does the surname Tamura mean?

Tamura is a Japanese surname. The name is written in Kanji as 田村, with the characters meaning “ricefield” (田) and “village” (村). It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, referring to those who either owned or worked in ricefields.

However, there is also a possibility that Tamura was an originally more feudal surname, indicating an origin as a headman or head of a village. This sense of the surname is found in many Japanese surnames, ones that also commonly end in ‘-mura’, such as Yamamura, Kunimura, and Konomura.

As a family name, Tamura can be found in virtually all parts of Japan, though is most common in the Yamaguchi prefecture, where it is ranked the 37th most common, and the highest ranked amongst all names ending in ‘-mura’.

The surname is also spelled different ways in different regions; in the Kanto region (Tokyo) it is most commonly Tsujiyama, while in western Japan it is often Yanamura. There are also a number of different ways to read the Kanji and corresponding pronunciations, such as Da-mura or Tama-mura.

Although less common today, Tamura was adopted as an given name during the Edo period in order to identify members of a family. A notable bearer of the surname Tamura is Japanese singer-songwriter Okinawa Tamaki (born Tamura Yukari).

Tamura: Where does the name Tamura come from?

Tamura is a common last name in Japan, and can also be found in Korean, Chinese, and Okinawan cultures. The name can also be found in other parts of Asia, including India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

In Japan, the Tamura name is found throughout the country, with a particularly high concentration in the Tokyo area. There is also a large population of Tamura in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions of Northern Japan.

The Tamura name has a long history in Japan, with evidence of its use as early as the Jomon period (10,000 to 300 BC). It is derived from the character for “ring” or “circle” and is most commonly associated with a samurai family that served the warlord Oda Nobunaga in the late 16th century.

Away from Asia, Tamura is also a common name in Brazil, where many Japanese immigrants settled during the early 20th century. In the United States, the name can be found in every state, albeit in much lower numbers than in Japan or Brazil.

In sum, the Tamura name is widespread throughout the world, with particularly high concentrations in Japan and Brazil. The name is associated with a long and distinguished history of service to Japanese warlords and reflects a global reach that spans a range of cultures and countries.

Variations of the surname Tamura

Tamura is a Japanese surname of various possible origins. It may derive from the old place-name "Tamura" in Mino Province (now Gifu Prefecture), or from the Japanese word for "cemetery" (probably due to its frequent occurrence near cemeteries). Possible variants of this surname are:

- Temura

- Tenura

- Tamule

- Tamorra

- Tamore

- Tamora

- Temula

Tamura is also written variously in different languages. In Chinese, it is written as 田村, while in Korean it is written 다무라.

Tamura may also be spelled with diacritics, which is common in Japanese orthography. These spellings include: Tamurá, Támura, Tâmura, and Tamûra.

The surname itself may also be encountered in its many different variants, such as Tamuradō, Tamurayama, and Tamuraguchi. In Nagasaki prefecture, there is a village called Tamuracho.

When the name is written with kanji characters, it can also be written as 田口, which is a different but related surname.

Finally, there is the surname Tamukai, which is a branch of the Tamura family and is derived from the same kanji characters.

Famous people with the name Tamura

• Namie Amuro-Tamrua: Japanese singer, songwriter, and performance artist.
• Ami Tamura- Singer-songwriter, actress, and author from Osaka, Japan.
• Hideki Tamura: Japanese voice actor.
• Haruka Tamura: Japanese actress, model, and gravure idol.
• Kazuya Tamura: Japanese actor and talent.
• Hiroki Tamura: Japanese actor.
• Hiroshi Tamura: Japanese racing driver.
• Yuichi Tamura: Japanese footballer.
• Kazuaki Tamura: Japanese tennis player.
• Hiroyuki Tamura: Japanese comedian and musician.
• Takako Tamura: former Japanese model, gravure idol, and actress.
• Yoshinori Tamura: Japanese jazz musician and producer.
• Yōko Tamura: former Japanese fashion model and actress.
• Fumio Tamura: Japanese mathematician.
• Hisako Tamura: Japanese photographer.
• warr: Japanese musician, record producer and composer.
• Yuya Tamura: Japanese multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer.
• Noriko Tamura: Japanese runner.
• Rei Tamura: Japanese illustrator and mangaka.
• Kenji Tamura: Japanese professional wrestler.

Other surnames

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