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

Khilji, 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 Khilji surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Khilji in America

Khilji is the 154907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Khilji surname appeared 105 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 Khilji.

The history of the last name Khilji

The surname Khilji originated from the historical Khilji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent from 1290 to 1320 CE. The name is derived from the Arabic word 'Khalaj', which refers to a Turkic tribe that migrated to the region during the 11th and 12th centuries.

The Khilji dynasty was founded by Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khilji, who assumed power after the overthrow of the Slave dynasty in 1290. His nephew and successor, Alauddin Khilji (1266-1316), is renowned for his military conquests and administrative reforms, including the introduction of a robust revenue collection system.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Khilji can be found in the chronicles of the Persian historian Ziauddin Barani, who documented the reigns of the Khilji rulers in his work, Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi. The name also appears in various inscriptions and literary works from the medieval period in the Indian subcontinent.

Notable individuals with the surname Khilji include Malik Kafur (1296-1316), a prominent military general and slave of Alauddin Khilji, who led successful campaigns in the Deccan region and the southern parts of India. Another noteworthy figure is Ghazi Malik, better known as Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (1321-1325), the founder of the Tughluq dynasty, who served as a governor under the Khiljis before seizing power.

The Khilji dynasty ended with the ascension of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq to the throne, but the surname continued to be carried by descendants and those associated with the ruling family. Barani (1285-1357), the renowned Persian historian, is also believed to have descended from the Khilji lineage.

Throughout history, the name Khilji has been associated with various political and military figures, including Nusrat Khan Khilji (1508-1564), a Mughal-era nobleman and governor, and Lashkar Khan Khilji (1605-1634), a military commander during the reign of Shah Jahan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Khilji

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

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

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

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