Find out how popular the last name Agarwala is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Agarwala.

Agarwala, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Agarwala surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Agarwala in America

Agarwala is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Agarwala surname appeared 189 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Agarwala.

We can also compare 2010 data for Agarwala to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Agarwala

The surname Agarwala originated in India and has its roots in the Sanskrit language. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the word "Agarwala," which refers to a person belonging to the trading community of Agra, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Agra was a significant center of trade and commerce during the Mughal Empire, and the Agarwala community played a vital role in the city's economic prosperity. The surname is often associated with the Bania or Vaishya caste, which traditionally consisted of traders, merchants, and farmers.

One of the earliest known references to the Agarwala surname can be found in the chronicles of the Mughal Empire, particularly during the reign of Emperor Akbar (1556-1605). The Agarwala merchants were renowned for their involvement in the trade of spices, textiles, and other valuable commodities.

In the 16th century, Amir Agarwala, a prominent merchant and banker from Agra, gained recognition for his financial acumen and his role in facilitating trade between the Mughal Empire and other regions. Another notable figure from this time period was Rai Abhay Ram Agarwala, who served as a financial advisor to Emperor Jahangir (1605-1627).

During the 17th century, Lala Hari Das Agarwala, a wealthy trader from Agra, established a successful business empire and funded the construction of several temples and caravanserais (roadside inns) along major trade routes.

In the 18th century, the Agarwala community expanded its influence beyond Agra and established itself in other parts of India. Prominent members included Govind Ram Agarwala, a renowned scholar and writer who authored several works on Hindu philosophy and culture.

The 19th century saw the rise of Shiv Narayan Agarwala, a social reformer and advocate for women's education. He founded the Arya Putri Pathshala, one of the earliest schools for girls in Uttar Pradesh.

Throughout its history, the Agarwala surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Agarwal, Agrawala, and Agrawal. These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic variations within India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Agarwala

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Agarwala.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Agarwala was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Agarwala has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Agarwala was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Agarwala, please contact us.

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