Agrawal last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Agrawal

A toponymic surname referring to someone from Agroha, a historical region in northern India.

Agrawal, 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 Agrawal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Agrawal in America

Agrawal is the 9701st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Agrawal surname appeared 3,344 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Agrawal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Agrawal 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 9701 15369 -45.22%
Count 3,344 1,753 62.43%
Proportion per 100k 1.13 0.65 53.93%

The history of the last name Agrawal

The surname Agrawal is of Indian origin, primarily concentrated in the northern and central regions of the subcontinent. It traces its roots back to the ancient Sanskrit language, derived from the word "Agravaala," which refers to a person from the region known as Agravaal or Agroha, located in the present-day state of Haryana.

The Agrawal community has a rich history, with its members traditionally engaged in agricultural activities, trade, and commerce. The name is also associated with the Vaishya caste, one of the four primary social classes in the Hindu tradition, known for their involvement in business and entrepreneurial ventures.

Historical records suggest that the Agrawal name appeared in various ancient texts and manuscripts, including the Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed documentation of the Mughal Empire compiled during the reign of Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. The name is mentioned in connection with influential merchants and traders who played a significant role in the economic prosperity of the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Agrawal surname can be found in the writings of the 14th-century poet and mystic, Kabir, who was born into an Agrawal family in the town of Varanasi. His profound spiritual teachings and literary works have had a lasting impact on Indian culture and philosophy.

Another notable figure bearing the Agrawal name was Raja Todar Mal Agrawal, a celebrated finance minister and advisor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He is credited with implementing significant economic reforms and establishing an efficient revenue collection system during the 16th century.

The Agrawal community has also produced prominent individuals in various fields, such as Shanti Swarup Agrawal, a renowned educationist and social reformer who founded the Agrawal Samaj in the early 20th century, promoting education and social welfare among the community.

In the realm of literature, Vijaydan Detha Agrawal, a 20th-century writer, is celebrated for his contributions to the Hindi language and folklore. His works, including the iconic "Batan Ri Phulwari," have preserved the rich cultural heritage of the Agrawal community.

Lastly, Rajendra Prasad Agrawal, born in 1884, served as the first President of independent India, holding office from 1950 to 1962. His unwavering commitment to democracy and his principled leadership during the formative years of the nation have earned him a revered place in Indian history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Agrawal

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

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 Agrawal was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 1.94% 65
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.18% 6
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 94.83% 3,171
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.39% 13
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.09% 70
Hispanic Origin 0.57% 19

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 Agrawal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 1.94% 1.83% 5.84%
Black 0.18% 0.40% -75.86%
Asian and Pacific Islander 94.83% 93.21% 1.72%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.39% 0.34% 13.70%
Two or More Races 2.09% 3.76% -57.09%
Hispanic 0.57% 0.46% 21.36%

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 Agrawal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Agrawal last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/agrawal-surname-popularity/.

"Agrawal last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/agrawal-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

Agrawal last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/agrawal-surname-popularity/.

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