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

Dalit, 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 Dalit surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dalit in America

Dalit is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dalit surname appeared 202 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 Dalit.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dalit 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 Dalit

The surname "DALIT" is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of modern-day India and Pakistan. Its roots can be traced back to the Sanskrit language, where the word "dalit" means "oppressed" or "broken."

In ancient Hindu society, the term "Dalit" was used to refer to those who were considered to be outside the traditional four-fold caste system. These were people who were subjugated and faced systematic discrimination and oppression due to their perceived low social status.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the term "Dalit" can be found in the Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu legal text that dates back to around the 2nd century BCE. In this text, the term is used to describe those who were considered "untouchable" or part of the lowest strata of society.

During the medieval period, the use of the term "Dalit" continued, and it became closely associated with various social reform movements that aimed to challenge the deeply entrenched caste system and promote equality and social justice.

In the 19th century, the Dalit activist and social reformer Jyotirao Phule (1827-1890) played a pivotal role in popularizing the term "Dalit" as a means of self-identification and empowerment for those who had been marginalized and oppressed for centuries.

Another notable figure associated with the Dalit movement was Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar (1891-1956), who is revered as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and a tireless advocate for the rights and upliftment of Dalits.

Throughout history, several other prominent individuals have embraced the surname "Dalit" as a symbol of resistance and pride. These include the writer and activist Namdeo Dhasal (1949-2014), the politician Mayawati (born 1956), and the social reformer Kanshi Ram (1934-2006).

It is important to note that while the term "Dalit" has been reclaimed as a positive self-identifier by many, it has also been a subject of debate and controversy, with some preferring to use alternative terms such as "Scheduled Castes" or "Bahujans."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dalit

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!