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

Behari, 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 Behari surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Behari in America

Behari is the 94311th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Behari surname appeared 194 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 Behari.

We can also compare 2010 data for Behari 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 Behari

The surname BEHARI is believed to have originated in India, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bihar," which refers to a region in eastern India, currently a state in the country. The name is thought to have been initially adopted by individuals hailing from this region or associated with it in some way.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BEHARI can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in local records and manuscripts from the Bihar region. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Biharis" or "Bihari," reflecting the regional pronunciation and linguistic variations.

In the 16th century, the BEHARI surname gained prominence with the rise of the Mughal Empire in India. Many individuals bearing this name held prominent positions within the Mughal administration and military. One notable figure was Mir Behari, a renowned poet and scholar who lived during the reign of Emperor Akbar (1556-1605).

As the British Empire expanded its influence in India during the 18th and 19th centuries, the BEHARI surname became more widely documented in official records and census data. Several individuals with this surname played significant roles in the Indian independence movement, including Shyam Behari Misra (1865-1942), a prominent lawyer and politician from Bihar.

Other notable individuals with the BEHARI surname include Lal Behari Shastri (1879-1945), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and educator, and Raj Behari Bose (1901-1988), a prominent Indian mathematician and statistician renowned for his contributions to the field of design theory.

The BEHARI surname has also been associated with various place names and locations within the Bihar region, such as Behari Chak, a village in the Patna district, and Behari Ghat, a historic ghat (riverfront) along the Ganges River in Varanasi.

Throughout history, the BEHARI surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, poets, politicians, and military figures, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Bihar region in India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Behari

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

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

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

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