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

Kam, 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 Kam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kam in America

Kam is the 8749th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kam surname appeared 3,749 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 Kam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kam 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 Kam

The surname "KAM" is believed to have its origins in the Punjab region of India, where it was initially derived from the Sanskrit word "kama," meaning "desire" or "love." The name likely emerged during the early medieval period, around the 6th to 8th centuries CE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "KAM" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a nobleman named Ratan Kam, who held a high-ranking position in the imperial court.

In the 17th century, the "KAM" surname was prominent among the Khatri community, a mercantile and trading caste found in northern India. Historical records from this era indicate that several influential merchants and traders bore this surname, including Gopal Ram Kam, a wealthy spice trader who established a trading outpost in Surat.

During the British colonial period in India, the "KAM" surname gained further recognition. One notable figure was Raja Ranjit Kam (1780-1839), a prominent Sikh leader and military commander who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Sikh Empire under Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

In the 19th century, the "KAM" surname also appeared in the historical records of the East India Company. Gokul Chand Kam (1832-1891) was a renowned scholar and writer who served as a translator and interpreter for the British administration in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

Another prominent individual with the "KAM" surname was Lala Hansraj Kam (1856-1938), a renowned educationist and social reformer from Punjab. He founded several educational institutions, including the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College in Lahore (now in Pakistan).

While the "KAM" surname has its roots in India, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the Punjab region and the rich cultural heritage of northern India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kam

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

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

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

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