SurnameNo. 28 in Japan
Ishikawa
Ishikawa (石川) is the 28th most common surname in Japan, shared by an estimated 0.44 million people. Its kanji mean stone + river.
い · し · か · わ · いしかわ
What Ishikawa means
石
stone
川
river
Where the name comes from
Like most Japanese surnames, Ishikawa describes a place. Its kanji point to stones and a river, the kind of landmark a family was known by when surnames became compulsory for everyone in 1875.