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

Dasta, 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 Dasta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dasta in America

Dasta is the 107134th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dasta surname appeared 166 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 Dasta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dasta 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 Dasta

The surname Dasta has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th to 13th centuries. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "dasta," which means "skilled" or "dexterous."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dasta can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions a person named Dasta Khan, who was a skilled artisan and craftsman in the imperial court.

The name Dasta was particularly prevalent among certain communities and castes in northern India and Pakistan, such as the Khatri and Arora communities, which were known for their expertise in trade, commerce, and craftsmanship.

In the 17th century, the name Dasta appeared in the records of the East India Company, where it was mentioned as the surname of several merchants and traders who conducted business with the British.

One notable individual with the surname Dasta was Rai Bahadur Dasta Ram (1833-1904), a prominent Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist from Punjab. He established several educational institutions and contributed significantly to the development of the region.

Another prominent figure was Sardar Dasta Singh (1869-1944), a military leader and politician from the Punjab region. He played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.

In the 20th century, the name Dasta gained recognition through the literary works of Krishan Chander (1914-1977), a renowned Urdu writer and novelist. His acclaimed novel "Dasta" (1955) explored the themes of social injustice and class struggles in pre-partition India.

The surname Dasta has also been associated with various place names in northern India and Pakistan, such as the village of Dasta in the Sialkot district of Punjab, Pakistan, and the town of Dasta in the Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India.

While the name Dasta may have evolved and undergone variations in spelling over time, its roots can be traced back to the skilled artisans and traders of medieval India, who contributed significantly to the cultural and economic fabric of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dasta

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

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

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

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