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

Giri, 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 Giri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Giri in America

Giri is the 29793rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Giri surname appeared 789 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 Giri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Giri 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 Giri

The surname GIRI has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "giri," which means "mountain" or "hill." This association suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify individuals who lived in or near mountainous regions.

The earliest known references to the name GIRI can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used to describe deities, sages, and other revered figures associated with mountains or hills. One notable example is the famous sage Vasishtha Giri, who is mentioned in the Ramayana epic and is believed to have lived during the latter part of the second millennium BCE.

In medieval India, the name GIRI gained prominence as a suffix used by scholars, poets, and literary figures, often denoting their association with a particular school of thought or philosophical tradition. For instance, the renowned 8th-century philosopher Adi Shankara, who revived the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, was also known as Shankara Giri.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the GIRI surname appeared in various historical records and inscriptions across the Indian subcontinent. One notable mention is in the Chaulukya dynasty's inscriptions from Gujarat, where individuals with the surname GIRI held important administrative positions.

As the centuries progressed, the name GIRI spread across different regions of India and beyond. One of the earliest documented instances of the name outside the subcontinent can be found in the 16th-century Mughal Empire records, where a courtier named Jafar Giri served under the emperor Akbar.

Some notable individuals who carried the GIRI surname throughout history include:

1. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), a renowned Hindu monk and philosopher who introduced Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
2. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999), the ninth President of India from 1992 to 1997.
3. Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961), an Indian freedom fighter and the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
4. Umakant Giri (1932-2011), a celebrated Indian playwright and literary critic known for his works in Odia literature.
5. Jagannath Giri (1610-1680), a renowned Bengali poet and scholar during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

The surname GIRI continues to be prevalent in various parts of India, particularly in regions such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of South India, where it is often associated with communities residing in or near mountainous areas. Its rich historical significance and connections to ancient Sanskrit roots have made it a name deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Giri

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

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

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

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