Kothari last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Kothari

A surname of Indian origin referring to a community of traders, merchants, and moneylenders.

Kothari, 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 Kothari surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kothari in America

Kothari is the 14427th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kothari surname appeared 2,071 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kothari.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kothari 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 14427 20055 -32.64%
Count 2,071 1,237 50.42%
Proportion per 100k 0.70 0.46 41.38%

The history of the last name Kothari

The surname Kothari is believed to have originated in India, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is a Hindu name derived from the Sanskrit word "Kothri," which means a treasury or a storehouse. The surname was initially associated with people who worked as treasurers, accountants, or bankers, playing a crucial role in managing finances and wealth.

The Kothari name has its earliest known origins in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, particularly in the cities of Jaipur and Jodhpur, where it was prevalent among the merchant and banking communities. Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries mention the Kothari clan as influential traders and financiers who held significant economic power in the region.

One of the earliest documented references to the Kothari surname can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a detailed administrative document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. It mentions a prominent Kothari family engaged in banking and trade activities in the imperial court.

Notable individuals from history who bore the Kothari surname include Khushali Ram Kothari (1800-1873), a renowned trader and philanthropist from Jodhpur, who built several educational institutions and temples in the city. Another prominent figure was Kalu Ram Kothari (1836-1892), a wealthy banker and merchant from Jaipur, who played a significant role in the economic development of the region.

In the 19th century, the Kothari name gained prominence in the field of education with the establishment of the Shri Nath Kothari Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Jaipur, founded by Shri Nath Kothari in 1876. This institution became a prominent center for the study of Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy.

Another notable Kothari was Tarachand Kothari (1872-1948), a renowned industrialist and philanthropist from Jodhpur, who founded the Tarachand Charitable Trust, which contributed significantly to the development of education and healthcare facilities in the region.

Ramkrishna Kothari (1907-1999), a distinguished sociologist and political scientist, made significant contributions to the study of Indian politics and society through his scholarly works and teachings at various prestigious institutions.

Throughout history, the Kothari surname has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including finance, trade, education, industry, and academia, reflecting the diverse roles and contributions of this community to the socio-economic and cultural fabric of India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kothari

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

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 Kothari was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.99% 62
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 93.72% 1,941
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.56% 53
Hispanic Origin 0.43% 9

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.99% 3.40% -12.83%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 93.72% 90.70% 3.28%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.56% 5.25% -68.89%
Hispanic 0.43% (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 Kothari was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kothari last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/kothari-surname-popularity/.

"Kothari last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/kothari-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

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

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.