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

Kashmiri, 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 Kashmiri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kashmiri in America

Kashmiri is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kashmiri surname appeared 117 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 Kashmiri.

The history of the last name Kashmiri

The surname Kashmiri originated in the Kashmir region of northern India. The name is derived from the word 'Kashmir' which itself comes from the Sanskrit words 'Ka' meaning water and 'shimeera' meaning desiccated. This refers to the region's many rivers and lakes which were important sources of water for the local population.

Historically, the Kashmiri surname can be traced back to the 7th century AD when the region was ruled by Hindu dynasties. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name appear in local tax and census records from this period. It is likely the name was adopted by families dwelling near the major water sources like the Jhelum River.

During the Mughal rule of Kashmir in the 16th-17th centuries, the name appears more frequently in court records and chronicles. One notable Kashmiri from this era was the poet Habba Khatoon (1554-1609) whose real name was Khorshid. Her poetry and folk songs in the Kashmiri language are still popular today.

As the Kashmir region came under Sikh and British rule in the 19th century, the Kashmiri surname spread more widely. The philosopher and educator Ishwari Prasad Kashmiri (1812-1873) was an influential figure who helped establish modern education in the region.

Other famous individuals with the Kashmiri surname include the revolutionary and freedom fighter Qazi Noor-ud-Din Kashmiri (1776-1838) who fought against the Sikh rulers. In more recent times, the politician Syed Mir Qasim Kashmiri (1875-1927) and novelist Sofi Ghulam Mohammad Kashmiri (1902-1978) have been important cultural figures from Kashmir.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kashmiri

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

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 Kashmiri 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.

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

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

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