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

Khalsa, 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 Khalsa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Khalsa in America

Khalsa is the 19716th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Khalsa surname appeared 1,366 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 Khalsa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Khalsa 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 Khalsa

The surname "KHALSA" has its origins in India, specifically in the Punjab region. It emerged during the 17th century, when Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, introduced the concept of Khalsa in 1699. The word "Khalsa" is derived from the Persian word "Khalis," meaning "pure" or "sovereign."

The Khalsa was a community of initiated Sikhs who followed a strict code of conduct and were committed to defending their faith. The members of the Khalsa community took on the surname "Singh" for men and "Kaur" for women, along with the collective last name "Khalsa" to signify their belonging to the Khalsa brotherhood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Khalsa" can be found in the writings of Bhai Gurdas, a prominent Sikh scholar and poet who lived during the 16th and 17th centuries. He referred to the Khalsa as a distinct community within the Sikh faith.

The surname "Khalsa" gained prominence during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839), the founder of the Sikh Empire in Punjab. He strengthened the concept of the Khalsa and encouraged Sikhs to adopt this surname as a symbol of their identity and commitment to the Sikh faith.

Some notable historical figures who bore the surname "Khalsa" include:

1. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur (1670-1716), a prominent Sikh warrior and leader who led the Sikhs against the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century.
2. Bhai Mani Singh (1644-1734), a renowned Sikh scholar and martyr who was instrumental in compiling the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs.
3. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia (1718-1783), a powerful Sikh chieftain and military commander who played a crucial role in establishing the Sikh Empire.
4. Hari Singh Nalwa (1791-1837), a renowned Sikh warrior and military commander who served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and was known for his bravery and military tactics.
5. Kharak Singh (1801-1840), the eldest son of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the heir apparent to the Sikh Empire, who briefly ruled as the Maharaja of Punjab.

The surname "Khalsa" has become deeply intertwined with the Sikh identity and holds significant cultural and historical significance. It represents the collective spirit of the Sikh community, their commitment to their faith, and their struggle for justice and equality.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Khalsa

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

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

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

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