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

Kanwar, 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 Kanwar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanwar in America

Kanwar is the 75069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanwar surname appeared 257 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 Kanwar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanwar 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 Kanwar

The surname "KANWAR" originated in India and is believed to have roots dating back to the 8th century AD. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kanwar," which means "prince" or "heir apparent." It was historically used as a title for the sons of Rajput rulers in various princely states of India.

During the medieval period, the title "Kanwar" was often bestowed upon the eldest son and heir of a Rajput king or chieftain. This tradition was particularly prevalent in the regions of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of Uttar Pradesh. The name became a hereditary surname for the families of these Rajput princes and their descendants.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "KANWAR" can be found in the Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem written in the 12th century. It mentions several Rajput princes and warriors with the title "Kanwar," indicating the established use of the name during that era.

In the 16th century, the Mughal emperor Akbar's courtier, Kanwar Man Singh Sisodia, was a prominent figure who bore the surname "KANWAR." He was a Rajput nobleman from the Sisodia clan and served as a military commander and administrator under Akbar's reign.

Another notable figure with the surname "KANWAR" was Kanwar Krishnaji Appa Saheb Peshwa, who lived from 1800 to 1853. He was a Maratha aristocrat and the last Peshwa (Prime Minister) of the Maratha Empire before its annexation by the British East India Company.

During the British Raj in India, several members of the Rajput nobility retained the surname "KANWAR." One example is Kanwar Sir Pratap Singh Bahadur, who was born in 1858 and served as the Prime Minister of the princely state of Jodhpur.

In more recent history, Kanwar Pal Singh Gill (1923-2017) was a prominent Indian civil servant and diplomat who held various high-ranking positions, including that of the Ambassador to the United States and the Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Overall, the surname "KANWAR" has a rich historical significance in India, particularly among the Rajput community, where it was originally used as a title for princes and later adopted as a hereditary surname by their descendants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanwar

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

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

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

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