Ahir last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ahir

A Hindu caste of cowherds, milkers, and cattle breeders, originally from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

Ahir, 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 Ahir surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ahir in America

Ahir is the 101737th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ahir surname appeared 177 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 Ahir.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ahir 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 101737 140756 -32.18%
Count 177 109 47.55%
Proportion per 100k 0.06 0.04 40.00%

The history of the last name Ahir

The surname AHIR originated in India and dates back to the 16th century or earlier. It is derived from the Hindi word "ahir," which means herdsman or cowherd. The AHIR surname is most commonly found in the northern and central regions of India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the AHIR surname can be traced back to the Mughal era, where it appeared in various administrative records and tax documents. The AHIR community played a significant role in the rural economy, primarily engaged in animal husbandry and agriculture.

In the 18th century, the AHIR surname was mentioned in several historical texts, including the works of British colonial administrators and travelers. These accounts often described the AHIR community as skilled pastoralists and cattle breeders.

Notable individuals with the AHIR surname include Rajpal Singh Ahir, a freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule in the early 20th century. Another prominent figure was Gulabchand Ahir, a renowned folk singer and musician from Rajasthan, who lived from 1888 to 1952.

The AHIR surname is also associated with several place names in India. For instance, Ahirwati, a region spanning parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, derived its name from the AHIR community's dominance in the area. Additionally, the town of Ahiranpur in Uttar Pradesh bears the surname's influence.

Other notable individuals with the AHIR surname include Dharmendra Ahir, an Indian politician and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Santosh Ahir, a former Indian cricketer who played domestic cricket for Mumbai in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The AHIR surname has a rich historical and cultural significance in India, reflecting the community's deep-rooted ties to animal husbandry and pastoral traditions that have shaped the region's rural landscape for centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ahir

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

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 Ahir was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.95% 7
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 94.92% 168
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.95% (S)% (S)%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 94.92% 84.40% 11.73%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.00% 10.09% -200.00%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ahir last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ahir-surname-popularity/.

"Ahir last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ahir-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

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

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