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

Dhir, 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 Dhir surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dhir in America

Dhir is the 53204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dhir surname appeared 389 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 Dhir.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dhir 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 Dhir

The surname Dhir has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries.

The name Dhir is derived from the Sanskrit word "dhira," which means "brave," "courageous," or "steadfast." It is likely that the surname was initially bestowed upon individuals who exhibited these qualities, or perhaps as a descriptive name for warriors or soldiers.

Early records of the Dhir surname can be found in various historical manuscripts and chronicles from the region. One notable mention is in the Prithviraj Raso, a Sanskrit epic poem composed in the 12th century, which chronicles the life of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan. The poem mentions a character named Dhir Singh, who was a valiant warrior in Prithviraj's army.

Another early recorded instance of the Dhir name is in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century Persian manuscript that served as an administrative and statistical record of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Akbar. The manuscript lists several individuals with the surname Dhir, suggesting that the name was well-established by that time.

Over the centuries, the Dhir surname has been associated with various notable figures. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Raja Dhir, a 12th-century ruler of the Tomara dynasty in Delhi. Another prominent figure was Dhir Singh Rathore (1619-1680), a Rajput warrior who served as the ruler of the princely state of Marwar (now part of Rajasthan).

In more recent history, several individuals bearing the Dhir surname have made significant contributions in various fields. These include:

1. Harbans Lal Dhir (1923-2006), an Indian diplomat who served as the Ambassador of India to several countries, including the United States.
2. Sardar Balbir Singh Dhir (1921-1997), an Indian field hockey player who won gold medals at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics.
3. Harish Dhir (born 1950), an Indian physicist and academic who served as the Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
4. Jaswant Singh Dhir (1925-2003), an Indian army officer who served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1981 to 1983.
5. Rajinder Dhir (born 1941), a British businessman and philanthropist of Indian origin, known for his charitable work in the UK and India.

The Dhir surname has been associated with various place names and villages in northern India, such as Dhir Kalan and Dhir Khurd in Punjab, which may have served as the ancestral homes of various Dhir families over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dhir

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

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

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

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