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

Gaya, 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 Gaya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gaya in America

Gaya is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gaya surname appeared 196 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 Gaya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gaya 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 Gaya

The surname GAYA is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the northern region of Bihar. It can be traced back to the ancient city of Gaya, one of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for Buddhists and Hindus. This city dates back to the 6th century BCE and is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics.

The name GAYA is derived from the Sanskrit word "gaya," which means "house" or "dwelling place." It is thought that the surname was initially adopted by families who lived in or near the city of Gaya. Some scholars also suggest that the name may be linked to the Gayatri Mantra, one of the most revered Hindu mantras, which is associated with the city.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname GAYA can be found in the Gupta inscriptions, which date back to the 4th and 5th centuries CE. These inscriptions mention individuals with the GAYA surname, suggesting that the name was already well-established during that time period.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname GAYA. One of the most famous was Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), a prominent Indian philosopher, social reformer, and the founder of the Brahmo Samaj movement. Another notable figure was Purushottam Das GAYA (1840-1905), a renowned Bengali poet and writer.

In the field of science, Dr. Prasanta Chandra GAYA (1857-1925) was a pioneering Indian chemist and the first Indian to obtain a doctoral degree in science from a European university. Additionally, Lal Bahadur Shastri GAYA (1904-1966) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and later served as the second Prime Minister of India from 1964 to 1966.

Another notable individual with the GAYA surname was Valmiki GAYA (c. 4th century BCE), the celebrated Hindu sage and author of the ancient epic Ramayana. It is believed that he composed the epic while living in the city of Gaya, which may have influenced his adoption of the surname.

While the surname GAYA is primarily associated with India, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the sacred city of Gaya and its rich cultural and historical significance in the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gaya

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

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

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

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