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

Dulai, 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 Dulai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dulai in America

Dulai is the 106096th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dulai surname appeared 168 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 Dulai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dulai 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 Dulai

The surname DULAI is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically the region now known as Punjab. The name's roots can be traced back to the Sanskrit language, where it may have derived from the word "dula," meaning "precious" or "beloved." Alternatively, some scholars suggest it could be linked to the Persian word "doulat," signifying "wealth" or "prosperity."

In the early medieval period, the DULAI name began appearing in various historical records and manuscripts across South Asia. One notable mention can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which lists individuals bearing the DULAI surname among the nobility and landowners of the time.

The earliest known recorded instance of the DULAI surname dates back to the 12th century, when a prominent Hindu nobleman named Jai Singh DULAI was mentioned in a royal charter from the Chahamana dynasty of Rajasthan. Another early reference comes from the Bahmani Sultanate of the Deccan region, where a military commander named Malik DULAI served under Sultan Ahmad Shah I Wali in the late 14th century.

During the medieval era, the DULAI surname was often associated with various place names and older spellings, such as "Doolai," "Doulai," or "Dulay." These variations likely arose due to regional linguistic differences and the fluidity of spelling conventions at the time.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the DULAI surname. One such figure was Diwan Hari Ram DULAI (1720-1785), a prominent administrator and poet in the court of the Maratha ruler Shivaji. Another was Munshi Sadruddin Khan DULAI (1797-1867), a renowned scholar and author who served as the tutor to the sons of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

In more recent times, Khushwant Singh DULAI (1915-2014) was a celebrated Indian writer, lawyer, and diplomat, best known for his iconic works such as "Train to Pakistan" and "Delhi: A Novel." Additionally, Manohar Singh DULAI (1928-2022) was a distinguished Indian Air Force officer who served as the Chief of the Air Staff from 1981 to 1984.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dulai

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

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

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

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