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

Bahl, 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 Bahl surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bahl in America

Bahl is the 15615th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bahl surname appeared 1,871 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 Bahl.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bahl 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 Bahl

The surname BAHL finds its origins in the Indian subcontinent, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word 'Bala,' which means strength or power. The name was prominent among the warrior clans and nobility of the region.

In the northern Indian state of Punjab, the BAHL surname was associated with the Khatri community, known for their prowess in trade and commerce. The name frequently appeared in local records, particularly in the cities of Amritsar and Lahore during the Mughal era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BAHL name can be found in the memoir of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who mentions a courtier named Mian Bahl during his reign in the early 17th century. Another notable figure was Dewan Ram Nath Bahl, a prominent banker and philanthropist in the late 19th century, who established several educational institutions in Punjab.

In the 18th century, the BAHL surname gained prominence in the princely state of Patiala, where the family held influential positions in the court of the Maharaja. Sardar Hari Singh Bahl served as the Prime Minister of Patiala from 1809 to 1823, playing a crucial role in the state's administration.

As the British Empire expanded in India, several BAHL individuals made significant contributions. Lala Bhagwan Das Bahl was a renowned educationist and social reformer in the late 19th century, known for his efforts in promoting female education and abolishing the practice of sati.

In more recent history, Narinder Singh Bahl, born in 1932, was a distinguished Indian Administrative Service officer who served as the Chief Secretary of Punjab and later as the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry from 1989 to 1994. Another notable figure was Kailash Chand Bahl, a renowned Indian hockey player who represented India in the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games, winning a gold and a silver medal, respectively.

The BAHL surname has also found its way into the literary and academic realms. Aditya Bahl, born in 1935, was a celebrated Hindi novelist and literary critic, known for his contributions to the Indian literary scene. In the field of science, Vinod Bahl, born in 1942, was a distinguished physicist and a fellow of the Royal Society, recognized for his work in condensed matter physics.

While the BAHL surname originated in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical roots and connections to the regions of Punjab and Northern India remain deeply embedded in the name's legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bahl

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

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!