Kalika last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kalika

A surname with origins in Sanskrit, meaning "thunderbolt" or "fierce energy."

Kalika, 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 Kalika surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kalika in America

Kalika is the 76029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kalika surname appeared 253 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 Kalika.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kalika 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 76029 82691 -8.39%
Count 253 212 17.63%
Proportion per 100k 0.09 0.08 11.76%

The history of the last name Kalika

The surname Kalika is of Indian origin, tracing its roots to the Sanskrit language and ancient Hindu traditions. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Kalika can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures, where it is associated with the goddess Kali, a fierce and powerful deity revered for her ability to conquer evil and bring about transformation. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "kala," meaning time or death, and "ka," meaning the feminine form, collectively representing the concept of the divine mother who both creates and destroys.

In the 13th century, the Kalika Purana, an important Hindu text dedicated to the worship of the goddess Kali, mentioned individuals bearing the surname Kalika. This text served as an early documentation of the name's existence and its connection to the veneration of the goddess.

The surname Kalika was particularly prevalent among Hindu communities in the northern states of India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. It was often associated with families involved in religious practices or those who held positions of spiritual significance within their communities.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kalika was Kalika Das, a 15th-century Bengali poet and devotee of the goddess Kali. His works, such as the "Srikrishna Vijaya" and "Chandi Mangala," were influential in popularizing the worship of Kali and spreading the name's reach.

In the 16th century, Kalika Prasad, a renowned scholar and poet from the Mithila region of Bihar, gained recognition for his literary contributions, including the classic text "Kalika Prasad Kavya." His works celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the region and further solidified the association of the name with scholarly and artistic pursuits.

During the 17th century, Kalika Devi, a prominent figure in the Nath tradition of Hinduism, earned a reputation for her spiritual teachings and devotion to the goddess Kali. Her teachings and travels across India helped to spread the name's significance among various Hindu communities.

In the 19th century, Kalika Ranjan Qanungo, a renowned historian and scholar from Bengal, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian history and culture. His research on the Kalika Purana and other Hindu texts further highlighted the historical relevance of the surname.

Throughout its long history, the surname Kalika has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including religious leaders, poets, scholars, and artists, all united by their connection to the divine feminine energy and the cultural traditions associated with the goddess Kali.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kalika

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

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 Kalika was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 76.28% 193
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.53% 14
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 12.25% 31
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 5.93% 15
Hispanic Origin 0.00% 0

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 Kalika has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 76.28% 84.43% -10.14%
Black 5.53% 3.30% 50.51%
Asian and Pacific Islander 12.25% 10.85% 12.12%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 5.93% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 0.00% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kalika last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 10, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kalika-surname-popularity/.

"Kalika last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kalika-surname-popularity/. Accessed 10 May, 2025

Kalika last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/kalika-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.