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

Banda, 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 Banda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Banda in America

Banda is the 2409th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Banda surname appeared 15,055 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Banda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Banda 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 Banda

The surname Banda is of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word 'bandu' meaning a friend or relative. It is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period, particularly in the regions of modern-day Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 12th century, where it appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the Delhi Sultanate. One notable example is the Banda Bahadur, a Sikh warrior and military leader who led a significant uprising against the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century.

In the 16th century, the name Banda was also associated with the Rajput warrior clans of northern India, particularly in the regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Several Rajput rulers and nobles bore the name, including Banda Singh Bahadur, a renowned warrior who fought against the Mughal armies in the 17th century.

As the Indian diaspora spread across the globe, the surname Banda found its way into various regions and countries. In East Africa, particularly in Kenya and Tanzania, the name is prevalent among the Indian communities that settled there during the colonial era.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Banda outside of India can be found in the records of the East India Company, where a merchant named Banda Ram is mentioned as trading in the port city of Surat in the late 17th century.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Banda. These include:

1. Banda Singh Bahadur (1670-1716), a Sikh warrior and military leader known for his resistance against the Mughal Empire.
2. Kanthi Banda (1935-2014), an Indian writer and novelist renowned for her works in Telugu literature.
3. Srinivas Banda (born 1968), an Indian-American computer scientist and entrepreneur, known for his contributions to the field of artificial intelligence.
4. Rajeswara Rao Banda (1898-1975), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
5. Kavi Banda (born 1992), an Indian cricketer who has represented the national team in various formats.

While the surname Banda has its roots in India, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have migrated and settled in different regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Banda

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

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

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

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