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

Choka, 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 Choka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Choka in America

Choka is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Choka surname appeared 104 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 Choka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Choka 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 Choka

The surname CHOKA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically the regions of modern-day India and Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 15th century, during the height of the Mughal Empire.

The name CHOKA is derived from the Sanskrit word 'chokha,' which means 'pure' or 'unblemished.' This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive term used to refer to individuals of high moral character or those with a clean reputation.

One of the earliest known references to the surname CHOKA can be found in the chronicles of the Mughal court, where it is mentioned in connection with a prominent family that served as advisors to the emperors. However, the exact details of this family's history have been lost to time.

In the 17th century, a notable individual named Choka Rai rose to prominence as a respected scholar and poet in the court of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Rai's works, which celebrated the beauty of nature and the wisdom of ancient Indian philosophers, earned him widespread acclaim and cemented the CHOKA name in the annals of Mughal literature.

During the British colonial period, the CHOKA surname began to appear more frequently in official records and documents. One such example is Hari Choka, a wealthy landowner from the province of Punjab, who was born in 1789 and played a pivotal role in negotiating land treaties between the British East India Company and local rulers.

In the 20th century, the CHOKA name gained further recognition through the achievements of Indira Choka, a pioneering educator who established several schools for underprivileged children in the city of Kolkata. Born in 1912, Choka dedicated her life to promoting literacy and empowering marginalized communities through education.

Another notable figure bearing the CHOKA surname is Jaswant Choka, a renowned classical musician who popularized the sarod, a stringed instrument central to the Hindustani classical music tradition. Born in 1928, Choka's virtuosity and innovative playing style earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

While the CHOKA surname may not be as widespread as some other Indian names, its legacy is deeply rooted in the rich cultural tapestry of the subcontinent, with a history that spans centuries and encompasses various fields, from literature and education to music and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Choka

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

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

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

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