is a Japanese surname meaning "eternal prosperity" or "enduring wealth". It is composed of two

Kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

characters: * 富 (''Tomi'') – "wealth" or "prosperity". * 永 (''Naga'') – "eternal" or "enduring". The surname is common in Japan, with significant presence in regions such as Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, and is also found in the

Japanese diaspora The Japanese diaspora and its individual members, known as Nikkei (, ) or as Nikkeijin (, ), comprise the Japanese people, Japanese emigration, emigrants from Japan (and their Kinship, descendants) residing in a country outside Japan. Emigration ...

in countries like

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Origin and history

The Tominaga surname has roots in

feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...

, possibly linked to samurai families or merchants who thrived during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

(1603–1868). During this era, the stability of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

fostered economic growth, particularly in cities like

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

, located in the Chūbu region, a key commercial hub along the Tōkaidō route. Historical records suggest that Tominaga families may have originated in

Aichi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...

(Nagoya) or

Gifu Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...

, where they were noted as landowners or artisans. For instance, local chronicles mention figures such as Tominaga Nobumitsu, a samurai active during the

Ōnin War The , also known as the Upheaval of Ōnin and Ōnin-Bunmei war, was a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. ''Ōnin'' refers to the Japanese era name, Japanese era during which the war started; the war ende ...

(1467–1477), and Tominaga Masahiro, a scholar associated with the

Tōdō clan The was a Japanese samurai clan of humble origins from the Inukami District of Ōmi Province. Under Hideyoshi, Tōdō ruled Uwajima at Iyo province. During the Edo period, the Tōdō ruled most of Ise Province and all of Iga Province as ''daim ...

in Ogaki during the Edo period. Academic research, such as studies available in Japan's CiNii repository, indicates that surnames with auspicious meanings like "Tominaga" were often adopted by families of prominence in feudal times. Additionally, discussions on X suggest that the surname's presence in Gifu may be tied to the traditional production of Mino washi paper, a regional craft. In the 20th century, the surname gained prominence across various fields, including arts, sports, and philosophy, reflecting the diverse contributions of its bearers.

Notable people

* , Japanese fashion model and actress. * Geovanna Tominaga (born 1980), Brazilian actress and television host of Japanese descent. * , Japanese footballer. * , Japanese basketball player. * , Japanese basketball player, competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. * , Japanese actor. * , Japanese volleyball player. * , Japanese film director, known for ''The Echo of Astro Boy’s Footsteps''. * , Japanese voice actress, known for roles in ''Sazae-san'' and ''Rurouni Kenshin''. * , Japanese sport wrestler. * , Japanese war criminal and later peace activist. * , Japanese philosopher of the Edo period. * , Japanese footballer.

Distribution

According to estimates, Tominaga ranks as the 8,221st most common surname worldwide, with approximately 67,606 bearers in Japan (a concentration of 1 in 1,891 people). Outside Japan, it is notable in countries with Japanese immigration, such as the United States (401 occurrences in the 2010 census) and Brazil.

Culture and significance

The meaning "eternal prosperity" reflects Japanese cultural values of longevity and success, often appearing in artistic and academic contexts.

References

{{surname Japanese-language surnames History of Japan

Origin and history

Notable people

Distribution

Culture and significance

See also

References