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

Athar, 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 Athar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Athar in America

Athar is the 79338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Athar surname appeared 240 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 Athar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Athar 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 Athar

The surname Athar has its origins in Northern India, specifically in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. It dates back to the 16th century and is derived from the Sanskrit word "athar," which means "a learned person" or "a teacher." This suggests that the name was initially associated with scholarly or teaching professions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Athar can be found in the historical records of the Mughal Empire. In the early 17th century, there was a renowned scholar and mathematician named Athar Ali, who served as a court astrologer under the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. His works on astronomy and mathematics were highly regarded during that era.

The surname Athar also appears in various ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts, including the Puranas and the Vedas. These references date back to the 8th and 9th centuries, indicating the long-standing presence of this surname in Indian culture and history.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure named Athar Singh played a significant role in the resistance against the Mughal Empire. He was a local chieftain in the region of present-day Haryana and led several successful campaigns against the Mughal forces.

Another prominent individual with the surname Athar was Athar Ali Khan (1840-1912), a renowned poet and scholar from the city of Lucknow. His collection of Urdu poetry, titled "Diwan-e-Athar," is widely acclaimed and has been studied by literary scholars worldwide.

During the 20th century, one of the most influential figures bearing the surname Athar was Athar Hussain (1886-1961). He was a renowned Indian historian and linguist, known for his extensive research on the history and culture of South Asia. His seminal work, "The Glorious Caliphate," is considered a classic in the field of Islamic history.

Throughout its history, the surname Athar has been associated with various place names and older spellings. In some regions of Northern India, it was also spelled as "Attari" or "Atari." Additionally, there are several villages and towns in Punjab and Haryana that bear the name "Athar," further highlighting the deep-rooted connections of this surname to these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Athar

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

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

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

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