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

Chokshi, 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 Chokshi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chokshi in America

Chokshi is the 22673rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chokshi surname appeared 1,131 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 Chokshi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chokshi 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 Chokshi

The surname Chokshi originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the western Indian state of Gujarat. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Chokshi is derived from the Sanskrit word "choksha," which means "watchful" or "vigilant." It was likely initially used as an occupational surname for those who worked as guards, sentries, or watchmen. Over time, it became a hereditary family name passed down through generations.

In historical records, the name Chokshi can be found in various ancient manuscripts and documents from the Gujarat region. One notable mention is in the Lekhapaddhati, a 15th-century text on letter-writing and documentation, where the name is spelled as "Chokshee."

The earliest recorded examples of the Chokshi name can be traced back to the 16th century. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Shantidas Chokshi, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Surat during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605).

Another prominent figure in history was Ranchhodlal Chhotalal Chokshi (1846-1923), a renowned Indian businessman and philanthropist from Gujarat. He established several educational institutions and played a significant role in the development of the city of Ahmedabad.

Mohanlal Chokshi (1880-1967) was an influential Indian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Bombay Legislative Council and was actively involved in the Indian independence movement. He was also a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.

Purushottam Laxmichand Chokshi (1900-1982) was a distinguished Indian economist and statistician. He served as the first Indian director of the prestigious Indian Statistical Institute and made significant contributions to the field of statistics and economic planning.

Lastly, Jagdish Chokshi (1932-2017) was a prominent Indian-American scientist and engineer. He played a pivotal role in the development of the Apollo Lunar Module and was instrumental in the success of the Apollo space program that landed humans on the Moon.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Chokshi who have left their mark on various fields throughout history, reflecting the rich heritage and significance of this Indian surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chokshi

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

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

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

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