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

Ghelani, 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 Ghelani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghelani in America

Ghelani is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghelani surname appeared 145 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 Ghelani.

The history of the last name Ghelani

The surname Ghelani is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Gujarat. It is believed to have originated in the 15th or 16th century CE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'ghela', which means 'shepherd' or 'cowherd'. This suggests that the name was likely associated with pastoral communities or individuals involved in cattle rearing.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Ghelani can be found in historical documents and manuscripts from the Mughal period. It is mentioned in some land revenue records and local administrative documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in the region of Gujarat. The name appears to have been concentrated in certain areas of Gujarat, particularly around the cities of Ahmedabad and Surat.

One notable early bearer of the name was Ghelani Viraji, a wealthy merchant and trader who lived in the city of Surat in the late 17th century. He was involved in the spice trade and had business dealings with the British East India Company. Another early individual with this surname was Ghelani Ranchhodji, a landowner and agriculturist from the village of Khambhat in the early 18th century.

In the 19th century, the name Ghelani is found in various official records and documents from the British Raj period. For example, Ghelani Keshavlal (1845-1920) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Ahmedabad who contributed to the establishment of several educational institutions in the city. Ghelani Navalram (1870-1945) was a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on Gujarati language and literature.

During the Indian independence movement, Ghelani Bhailalbhai (1895-1972) was a notable figure who participated in the non-violent resistance against British rule. He was imprisoned several times for his involvement in the freedom struggle. Another individual with this surname, Ghelani Hariram (1910-1985), was a social reformer and activist who worked towards the upliftment of underprivileged communities in Gujarat.

Over time, the surname Ghelani has spread beyond Gujarat to other parts of India and even to other countries due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots can be traced back to the pastoral communities of Gujarat from several centuries ago.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghelani

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

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 Ghelani 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.

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

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

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