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

Ghosh, 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 Ghosh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ghosh in America

Ghosh is the 8928th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ghosh surname appeared 3,666 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 Ghosh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ghosh 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 Ghosh

The surname Ghosh originated in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Ghosha," which means "sound" or "voice." The name is thought to have emerged as early as the 8th century CE, when it was likely used to identify individuals or families involved in occupations related to sound or voice, such as singers, orators, or musicians.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ghosh can be found in the Dhanapati Inscription, a Sanskrit inscription dating back to the 10th century CE. This inscription mentions a person named Ghosha, who is believed to have been a member of the Brahmin caste and a scholar of Sanskrit grammar.

During the medieval period, the Ghosh surname was particularly prevalent in the region of Bengal, which was ruled by various Hindu and Muslim dynasties. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged during this time, including Jadunath Ghosh (1537-1612), a renowned Bengali poet and composer, and Ramkrishna Ghosh (1649-1721), a prominent scholar and writer.

As the British colonial rule expanded in India, the surname Ghosh became more widely documented in official records. One notable figure from this era was Aurobindo Ghosh (1872-1950), a revolutionary turned spiritual leader and philosopher, who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.

In the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Ghosh made significant contributions to various fields. These include Jagadish Chandra Ghosh (1887-1959), a chemist and physicist known for his work on the Raman effect, and Naresh Chandra Ghosh (1909-1992), a renowned sculptor and artist who played a pivotal role in the development of modern Indian art.

Other notable individuals with the surname Ghosh include Birendranath Ghosh (1907-1983), a celebrated Bengali novelist and playwright, and Shanti Swarupa Ghosh (1913-2005), a renowned educationist and social reformer who worked towards the empowerment of women in India.

Overall, the surname Ghosh has a rich history and cultural significance in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the region of Bengal. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit roots, and it has been associated with various occupations, social classes, and intellectual pursuits throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ghosh

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

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

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

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