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

Bhangu, 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 Bhangu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bhangu in America

Bhangu is the 73911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bhangu surname appeared 262 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 Bhangu.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bhangu 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 Bhangu

The surname Bhangu originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically the Punjab region of modern-day India and Pakistan. It is believed to have its roots in the Punjabi language, deriving from the word "bhang," which refers to the cannabis plant.

The earliest known references to the name Bhangu can be traced back to the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal Empire. It is said that some families with this surname were involved in the cultivation and trade of cannabis, which was used for medicinal and recreational purposes at the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bhangu can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the rule of Emperor Akbar. This document mentions a certain Bhangu Khan, a prominent figure in the imperial court.

In the 17th century, the Bhangu surname appears in the historical records of the Sikh Empire, particularly during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Several notable individuals bearing this surname served as generals and administrators in the Sikh army and government.

One such individual was Sardar Sham Singh Bhangu, a valiant warrior who fought alongside Maharaja Ranjit Singh in numerous battles against the Afghan and British forces in the early 19th century. Another prominent figure was Sardar Gurbaksh Singh Bhangu, who held the position of Governor of the Hazara region during the Sikh rule.

In the 20th century, the Bhangu surname gained further recognition with the rise of the Indian independence movement. Baba Kharak Singh Bhangu, born in 1869, was a renowned activist and champion of civil rights. He played a significant role in the Ghadar Party, a revolutionary organization that fought against British colonial rule.

Another notable Bhangu was Sardar Arjan Singh Bhangu, a decorated Indian Air Force officer who served as the Chief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969. He was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.

It is worth noting that the surname Bhangu has also been associated with various place names in the Punjab region, such as Bhangu Kalan and Bhangu Khurd, which were likely named after families or settlements bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bhangu

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bhangu, 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!