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

Bengal, 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 Bengal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bengal in America

Bengal is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bengal surname appeared 126 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 Bengal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bengal 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 Bengal

The surname "BENGAL" is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the region of Bengal, which is located in the eastern part of the subcontinent. The name is derived from the word "Vanga," which was the ancient name for the region, and is thought to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "vanga," meaning "bent," referring to the curvature of the Ganges River as it flows through the region.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "BENGAL" can be traced back to the 16th century, when the region was under the rule of the Mughal Empire. During this time, many people from the Bengal region began to adopt surnames based on their place of origin, and "BENGAL" became a common surname among those who hailed from this area.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "BENGAL" was Mir Jumla II (1611-1663), a Bengal-born nobleman and military leader who served as the governor of Bengal under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Another notable figure was Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), a Bengal-born social reformer and philosopher who played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname "BENGAL" began to spread beyond the borders of India as a result of British colonial rule. Many individuals from the Bengal region migrated to other parts of the British Empire, carrying their surname with them. One such individual was Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898), a Bengal-born Muslim philosopher and educator who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University in India.

During the 20th century, the surname "BENGAL" gained further recognition through the works of prominent individuals such as Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a Bengal-born poet, novelist, and playwright who was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. Another notable figure was Satyajit Ray (1921-1992), a Bengal-born filmmaker who is widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs in the history of world cinema.

Throughout history, the surname "BENGAL" has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, philosophers, and political leaders, all of whom have contributed to the rich cultural heritage of the region and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bengal

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

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

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

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