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

Koul, 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 Koul surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koul in America

Koul is the 74375th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koul surname appeared 260 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 Koul.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koul 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 Koul

The surname KOUL is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and present-day Pakistan. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language, where the word "kula" meant family, lineage, or clan.

The earliest known records of the KOUL surname can be found in ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions from the 5th to 12th centuries CE. These records often mention individuals with the KOUL surname, indicating their association with prominent families or clans of the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOUL surname is found in the Rajatarangini, a 12th-century chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, written by Kalhana. The text mentions several individuals with the KOUL surname, suggesting their influential status in the region.

During the medieval period, the KOUL surname was particularly prevalent among the Kashmiri Pandit community, a Hindu Brahmin group native to the Kashmir Valley. Many notable scholars, poets, and intellectuals from this community carried the KOUL surname, contributing significantly to the literary and cultural heritage of the region.

One such prominent figure was Abhinavagupta KOUL (c. 950-1016 CE), a celebrated philosopher, mystic, and literary critic who wrote extensively on Hindu theology, aesthetics, and tantra. His works, such as the Tantraloka and the Isvara-pratyabhijna-vimarshini, had a profound impact on Indian philosophy.

Another renowned KOUL was Jonaraja KOUL (c. 1459-1493 CE), a Kashmiri historian and poet who authored the Rajavalipataka, a continuation of the Rajatarangini, chronicling the history of the Kashmiri kings from the 14th to the 15th century.

In the 16th century, Srivara KOUL (c. 1520-1580 CE) was a prominent Kashmiri scholar and poet who wrote several works on Kashmir's history, culture, and literature, including the Rajatarangini-rajavalipataka-prakriya, a commentary on the Rajatarangini.

Zain-ul-Abidin KOUL (1420-1470 CE), also known as Budshah or the "Great King," was a celebrated ruler of the Kashmir Sultanate who was renowned for his religious tolerance, patronage of the arts, and efforts to promote social harmony in the region.

Anand Koul (1927-2022 CE) was a distinguished Indian diplomat and author who served as India's Ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union. He wrote extensively on international affairs and was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koul

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

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

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

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