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

Bhatia, 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 Bhatia surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bhatia in America

Bhatia is the 7381st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bhatia surname appeared 4,515 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bhatia.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bhatia 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 Bhatia

The surname Bhatia originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of Punjab and Sindh. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhatta," which means "scholar" or "learned person." The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, between the 10th and 16th centuries.

The earliest known references to the Bhatia surname can be found in ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts, where individuals with this name were often associated with scholarly pursuits, such as teaching, writing, and interpreting religious scriptures. The name was particularly prevalent among the Brahmin caste, who were traditionally involved in intellectual and spiritual activities.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Bhatia surname was Pandit Vishwanath Bhatia, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. He authored several treatises on Hindu philosophy and is considered a significant figure in the Vedanta tradition.

During the Mughal Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bhatia community played a prominent role in the administrative and intellectual circles. Todar Mal Bhatia, born in 1519, was a prominent finance minister and advisor to Emperor Akbar. His contributions to the revenue system and land reforms were instrumental in the empire's prosperity.

In the 18th century, Rai Bahadur Lala Dewan Chand Bhatia was a distinguished businessman and philanthropist from Lahore, now in modern-day Pakistan. He established several educational institutions and contributed significantly to the development of the region.

The Bhatia name is also associated with the town of Bhatinda (formerly known as Bhattanagar) in the Indian state of Punjab. This town was once a thriving center of learning and scholarship, and it is believed that the name Bhatia originated from this place.

Other notable individuals with the Bhatia surname include Govindram Sakharam Bhatia (1879-1973), a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer, and Ravi Bhatia (1928-2013), a celebrated Indian film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to Hindi cinema.

While the Bhatia surname has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the name continues to carry its historical associations with scholarship, learning, and intellectual pursuits.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bhatia

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

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

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

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