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

Jani, 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 Jani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jani in America

Jani is the 16765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jani surname appeared 1,704 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 Jani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jani 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 Jani

The surname JANI has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and parts of modern-day Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.

JANI is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'jana', which means 'people' or 'man'. It may have been used as a surname to identify individuals from a particular community or lineage, or it could have been an occupational surname referring to someone who worked with people or served the public in some capacity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname JANI can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions several individuals with the surname JANI, indicating its prevalence in the region during that time.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname JANI was Miyan Jani, a renowned Sufi saint and scholar from the city of Lahore (now in Pakistan). He was born in 1615 and is revered for his spiritual teachings and contributions to the spread of Islam in the region.

Another prominent individual with the surname JANI was Sher Jani, a 17th-century poet and writer from the city of Multan (now in Pakistan). He was known for his works in the Punjabi language and his poetry often celebrated the beauty of nature and the human experience.

In the 19th century, a notable figure with the surname JANI was Mirza Jani Beg, a political activist and writer from the region of Kashmir. He was born in 1828 and played a significant role in the struggle for independence from the Dogra rule in Kashmir.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most renowned figures with the surname JANI was Pandit Ravi Shankar Jani, a celebrated Indian musician and composer. He was born in 1920 and is widely regarded as the most influential figure in popularizing Indian classical music around the world.

Throughout its history, the surname JANI has been associated with various professions, including scholars, poets, musicians, and political activists. While its origins can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, the name has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jani

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

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

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

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