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

Kahan, 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 Kahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kahan in America

Kahan is the 14093rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kahan surname appeared 2,133 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 Kahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kahan 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 Kahan

The surname Kahan has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of Punjab and Sindh. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "kahan," which means "storyteller" or "narrator." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who worked as storytellers or bards, playing a significant role in preserving and disseminating oral traditions and folklore.

The earliest known references to the name Kahan can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit texts, where it was used to describe individuals skilled in the art of storytelling. In the medieval period, the name appears in various Persian and Arabic records, indicating its spread across the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name Kahan can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This record mentions several individuals bearing the surname Kahan, suggesting its establishment as a hereditary family name by that time.

In the 17th century, the name Kahan is mentioned in the Dastur-ul-Amal, a legal text written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. This text refers to a prominent individual named Kahan Khan, who held a high-ranking position in the Mughal court.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Kahan became more widespread, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such figure was Mir Kahan Ali Khan (1776-1853), a renowned Urdu poet and scholar from Lucknow, known for his contributions to Urdu literature.

Another prominent individual was Syed Ahmed Kahan (1817-1898), a Muslim reformer and scholar who played a crucial role in the Indian Uprising of 1857 against British rule. He founded the Tariqah-e-Muhammadiyah movement, which aimed to revive Islamic teachings and practices.

In the 20th century, the name Kahan continued to be associated with influential individuals. One notable figure was Pandit Shivnath Kahan (1901-1976), a renowned Indian classical musician and sitar player who contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Hindustani classical music.

Kahan Singh (1915-2003), a Sikh scholar and historian, is also widely recognized for his extensive work on Sikh history, literature, and culture, including his seminal work, "Mahan Kosh," an encyclopedic dictionary of Sikh literature.

While the surname Kahan has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical significance and cultural associations of this name remain deeply rooted in the rich storytelling traditions and literary heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kahan

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

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

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

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