Kham last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kham

A surname derived from the Persian word "khan," meaning ruler or chieftain.

Kham, 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 Kham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kham in America

Kham is the 38155th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kham surname appeared 581 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 Kham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kham 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 38155 36807 3.60%
Count 581 572 1.56%
Proportion per 100k 0.20 0.21 -4.88%

The history of the last name Kham

The surname KHAM has its origins traced back to the Indian subcontinent, specifically the northwestern region known as Punjab. The name is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "kshama," which means "forgiveness" or "pardon." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who possessed qualities of compassion and mercy.

During the medieval period, the name KHAM appeared in various historical records and manuscripts kept by local scribes and administrators. One notable mention can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which details the names and occupations of individuals residing in different regions of the empire.

The earliest recorded instance of the name KHAM can be traced back to the 12th century, when a prominent scholar and poet, Kham al-Din Khusrau, gained recognition for his literary works and contributions to the Persian language. Born in 1253 in Patiali, Punjab, Khusrau is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of the Hindustani language and Sufi poetry.

Another notable figure bearing the surname KHAM was Kham Bakhsh Khan, a 17th-century Mughal military commander and governor. He served under Emperor Aurangzeb and played a crucial role in various military campaigns, including the conquest of the Deccan region.

In the 18th century, Kham Singh Bhangu, a Sikh warrior and scholar, gained fame for his literary work, the "Sri Guru Panth Prakash." This historical narrative chronicled the lives of the ten Sikh Gurus and the events surrounding the formation of the Khalsa, the collective body of initiated Sikhs.

During the 19th century, Kham Bakhsh Khan Malik, a prominent landowner and politician from Punjab, made significant contributions to the region's administrative affairs. He served as a member of the legislative council and worked towards improving the living conditions of the local population.

Another notable figure with the surname KHAM was Kham Kaur, a Sikh freedom fighter and revolutionary who actively participated in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule in the early 20th century. She was born in 1892 in the village of Gakhar, Punjab, and played a crucial role in organizing protests and rallies, advocating for women's rights and social reforms.

While the surname KHAM is predominantly found in the Punjab region of India and Pakistan, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, it is important to note that the historical records and references mentioned here focus primarily on the origins and early occurrences of the name within the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kham

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

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 Kham was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 5.51% 32
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 86.40% 502
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 4.48% 26
Hispanic Origin 1.72% 10

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 5.51% 3.85% 35.47%
Black (S)% 1.92% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 86.40% 81.12% 6.30%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 4.48% 11.36% -86.87%
Hispanic 1.72% (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 Kham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Kham last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kham-surname-popularity/.

"Kham last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kham-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

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

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