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

Balraj, 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 Balraj surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balraj in America

Balraj is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balraj surname appeared 137 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 Balraj.

The history of the last name Balraj

The surname Balraj is of Indian origin, specifically from the Punjab region. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "bal" meaning strength or power, and "raj" meaning king or ruler. The surname Balraj can be translated to mean "mighty king" or "powerful ruler".

The earliest known references to the name Balraj can be traced back to the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal Empire in India. It is believed to have been used as a title or honorific for those who held positions of authority or nobility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Balraj is found in the Persian manuscript "Akbarnama," written by Abul Fazl in the late 16th century. This work chronicles the life and reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, and mentions several individuals with the name Balraj who held important positions in the imperial court.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Balraj became more widely used across the Punjab region, particularly among the Sikh community. Notable individuals with this surname include Balraj Singh (1707-1766), a prominent Sikh warrior and military leader who played a key role in the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

Another prominent figure with the surname Balraj was Balraj Khanna (1886-1973), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and was actively involved in the Indian independence movement.

In the realm of literature, Balraj Sahni (1913-1973) was a renowned Indian actor and writer who made significant contributions to Hindi cinema and literature. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Indian film industry.

The surname Balraj has also been associated with several place names in the Punjab region, such as Balraj Pur and Balraj Nagar, which suggests its historical significance and widespread usage in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balraj

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

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 Balraj 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.

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

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

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