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

Kotwal, 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 Kotwal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kotwal in America

Kotwal is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kotwal surname appeared 167 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 Kotwal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kotwal 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 Kotwal

The surname KOTWAL is of Indian origin, originating from the Hindi and Sanskrit languages. It first emerged in the medieval period, around the 11th to 12th centuries AD, in parts of northern and central India.

The name is derived from the word "Kot" meaning a small fortified area or garrison, and "Wal" meaning a person in charge or an official. Therefore, KOTWAL essentially referred to the commander or official in charge of a fortified area or garrison town.

Early records show that the name was closely associated with individuals holding administrative and military positions in various kingdoms and principalities across the Indian subcontinent. The earliest known reference to the name dates back to inscriptions from the Chauhan dynasty in the 12th century, which mention a Kotwal named Alha.

Another prominent historical figure bearing the KOTWAL surname was Malik Kafur, a renowned military general and slave of Alauddin Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi in the early 14th century. Kafur rose through the ranks to become a powerful military commander and is known for his successful campaigns in the Deccan region.

In the 16th century, the Mughal emperor Akbar appointed several individuals with the KOTWAL surname as military commanders and administrators in various parts of his empire. One notable example is Mir Qasim Kotwal, who served as the Kotwal (commander) of the city of Lahore during Akbar's reign.

During the later Mughal period, the KOTWAL surname was also associated with individuals holding administrative positions in various cities and regions. A well-known figure from this era was Mirza Muhammad Qasim Kotwal, who served as the Kotwal of Delhi in the late 17th century.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the KOTWAL surname continued to be prominent among individuals holding administrative and military roles, particularly in the princely states of Rajputana and the Maratha Empire. One notable example is Raghunath Rao Kotwal, a distinguished military commander who served under the Maratha ruler Shivaji in the late 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kotwal

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

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

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

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