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

Gautam, 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 Gautam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gautam in America

Gautam is the 17839th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gautam surname appeared 1,568 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Gautam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gautam 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 Gautam

The surname Gautam is of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "Gautama," which means "a descendant of the sage Gautama." The name traces its roots back to ancient India, where it was associated with the renowned sage and philosopher Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The earliest known records of the name Gautam can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, dating back to the 6th century BCE. Gautama Buddha, whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama, lived during this period and is considered one of the most influential figures in world history.

In the centuries that followed, the name Gautam became prevalent among various communities and regions within the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. It was often associated with people who claimed descent from the sage Gautama or followed the teachings of Buddhism.

One of the earliest known historical references to the name Gautam can be found in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, where a character named Gautama is mentioned as a renowned sage and teacher. Additionally, the name appears in various inscriptions and manuscripts from medieval India, further solidifying its historical significance.

Over the course of Indian history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Gautam. Among them are Chanakya (350-275 BCE), a renowned philosopher, teacher, and adviser to the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya; Maharshi Gautama, a legendary sage and author of the Nyaya Sutras, a foundational text in Hindu philosophy; and Gautama Siddhartha, better known as Gautama Buddha (563-483 BCE), the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gautam include Rahul Gautam, an Indian cricketer who represented India in the early 2000s; Sampooran Singh Kalra, also known as Gulzar Gautam (1934-1997), a renowned Urdu poet, lyricist, and writer; and Govind Vallabh Pant Gautam (1887-1951), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The surname Gautam has been prevalent across various regions of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Punjab, among others. It has also been adopted by people from different communities and faiths, reflecting the cultural diversity and rich heritage of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gautam

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

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

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

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