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.
Names used prior to the unification of Okinawa Island in 1429 and the establishment of the Ry?ky? 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 Sh? Dynasty (, 1470-1879), the royal family and aristocrats held both Chinese style names and Yamato names (Japanese style), in the following structure.
??? Yamato name (Japanese style) : ??? Domain name ??? Title/Rank ??? Name
For example, in the case of ?????????? (Sh? Sh?ken, Haneji Anji Ch?sh?), Sh? Sh?ken was his Chinese style name, which was used for diplomatic correspondence with Chinese dynasties, and Haneji Anji Ch?sh? 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; Ch?sh? 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 Ry?ky? Kingdom was a vassal from 1609-1871, instituted a 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 ? higashi was often changed to ?? Higa or ?? Hija.
The Japanese system of feudal domains (han) was abolished by the Meiji government in 1871, and the Ry?ky? 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.
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.
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