Where does “Tanaka” come from?

Tanaka is a Japanese surname derived from 田 (ta), meaning "rice field," combined with 中 (naka), meaning "middle."

Ancestry of “Tanaka”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Japanese田中the 4th most common surname in Japan
2Japanese田rice paddy; cultivated field
3Japanese熊田Kumada (neighborhoods in Japan)
Every word from Japanese 熊田 →Every word from Japanese 田 →Every word from Japanese 田中 →