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

Chahal, 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 Chahal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chahal in America

Chahal is the 17752nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chahal surname appeared 1,578 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 Chahal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chahal 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 Chahal

The surname Chahal is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Punjab region. It is thought to derive from the Sanskrit word "chal," which means "to move" or "to walk," suggesting that the name may have been given to people who were nomadic or travelled frequently.

Historically, the name Chahal can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing its presence in the Mughal Empire's administrative documents. During this time, the Chahal clan was known for their military prowess and served as warriors and cavalrymen in the Mughal armies.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chahal can be found in the Akbarnama, a 16th-century biography of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, written by his court historian, Abul Fazl. The text mentions a Chahal chieftain named Rai Singh Chahal, who was a prominent figure in the region during Akbar's reign.

In the 17th century, the Chahal clan played a significant role in the resistance against the Mughal Empire's expansion into the Punjab region. Bhai Mati Das Chahal, a revered Sikh warrior and martyr, was born in 1661 and is remembered for his unwavering courage and sacrifice in defending the Sikh faith.

Another notable figure with the Chahal surname is Sardar Sham Singh Chahal, who lived in the late 18th century and was a prominent leader in the Sikh Confederacy. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

In more recent history, Gurnam Singh Chahal, born in 1920, was a renowned Punjabi writer and poet. His works, such as "Dhara Di Khushboo" and "Jhalian," explored the lives and struggles of the Punjabi people and made significant contributions to Punjabi literature.

Other notable individuals with the Chahal surname include Satnam Singh Chahal, a former Indian cricketer who represented India in the 1980s, and Anmol Chahal, a contemporary Indian singer and actress known for her work in Punjabi cinema and music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chahal

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

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

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

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