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

Brar, 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 Brar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Brar in America

Brar is the 12476th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Brar surname appeared 2,488 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Brar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Brar 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 Brar

The surname BRAR originated in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the Punjab region. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Brahma," which refers to the Hindu creator deity. The name is associated with the Brahmin caste, which consisted of priests and scholars in ancient Indian society.

The earliest recorded instances of the BRAR surname can be traced back to the 16th century in various historical records and manuscripts from the Mughal Empire. During this period, the name was often spelled as "Barar" or "Baraar," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and transliteration.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the BRAR surname was Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606), the fifth guru of the Sikh religion. He is revered for compiling the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, and for his contributions to the development of the faith.

Another prominent figure in history bearing the BRAR name was Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire in the early 19th century. He was known for his military prowess and his efforts in unifying the Punjab region under his rule.

In the literary realm, Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) was a renowned Sikh writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the revival of the Punjabi language and literature. His works, such as the epic poem "Rana Surat Singh," continue to be widely studied and appreciated.

The BRAR surname has also been associated with various place names in the Punjab region, such as Brar Khurd and Brar Kalan, which were historically inhabited by individuals bearing this name.

It is worth noting that the BRAR surname has been carried by many distinguished individuals across various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts, both in India and in the global Punjabi diaspora.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Brar

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

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

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

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