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

Atwal, 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 Atwal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Atwal in America

Atwal is the 22791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atwal surname appeared 1,124 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 Atwal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Atwal 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 Atwal

The surname Atwal has its origins in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. It is a Punjabi name that can be traced back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Aatma," which means "soul," and the Punjabi word "Wal," meaning "master" or "custodian." Thus, the name Atwal can be interpreted as "master of the soul" or "custodian of the soul."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Atwal can be found in the Mughal records from the 16th century, where it was mentioned in reference to a prominent Sikh warrior and chieftain. The name was also found in several historical manuscripts and chronicles from the region, indicating its long-standing presence in the Punjab.

The name Atwal has been associated with various place names in the Punjab region, such as Atwal Kalan, Atwal Khurd, and Atwalpur. These place names likely originated from the presence of families bearing the Atwal surname in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Atwal include Bhai Mani Singh Atwal (1644-1737), a prominent Sikh scholar and martyr who played a significant role in the compilation of the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism. Bhai Daya Singh Atwal (1660-1708) was another revered Sikh figure known for his bravery and devotion to the Sikh faith.

In more recent times, Gurnam Singh Atwal (1888-1961) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and politician who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement. Jagir Singh Atwal (1915-1979) was a distinguished Punjabi writer and poet, renowned for his contributions to Punjabi literature.

Montek Singh Atwal (born 1942) is a renowned Indian economist and policymaker who served as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India from 2004 to 2014.

Overall, the surname Atwal has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and religious traditions of the Punjab region, with numerous notable individuals bearing this name having made significant contributions to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Atwal

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

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

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

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