SurnameNo. 30 in Japan
Ogawa
Ogawa (小川) is the 30th most common surname in Japan, shared by an estimated 0.41 million people. Its kanji mean small + river.
お · が · わ · おがわ
What Ogawa means
小
small
川
river
Where the name comes from
Like most Japanese surnames, Ogawa describes a place. Its kanji point to a river, the kind of landmark a family was known by when surnames became compulsory for everyone in 1875.