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

Kulkarni, 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 Kulkarni surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kulkarni in America

Kulkarni is the 7390th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kulkarni surname appeared 4,506 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kulkarni.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kulkarni 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 Kulkarni

The surname Kulkarni originated in India, specifically in the state of Maharashtra. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kulak," which means an accountant or a village record keeper. The name's origins can be traced back to the 10th or 11th century CE.

Kulkarni is a common surname among the Marathi-speaking community in Maharashtra and the neighboring states of Karnataka and Goa. It is believed to have been associated with the Brahmin caste, who traditionally held administrative and scholarly positions in villages and towns.

One of the earliest known references to the name Kulkarni can be found in the Lekhapaddhati, an ancient Sanskrit text on accountancy and record-keeping. This text, written between the 12th and 14th centuries, mentions the role of Kulkarnis in maintaining village records and accounts.

In the 14th century, the Kulkarni family gained prominence during the reign of the Yadava dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Maharashtra. Some historical records suggest that Kulkarnis served as scribes and accountants in the royal court.

Over the centuries, the Kulkarni surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest known is Vasudevāditya Kulkarni, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 16th century. His works, such as the Siddharamakavya and the Siddhantaratnakara, are still studied and revered in academic circles.

Another prominent figure was Malhar Ramrao Kulkarni (1855-1928), a social reformer and educationist who played a significant role in the establishment of the Fergusson College in Pune. He was also a advocate for women's education and worked towards eradicating social evils like child marriage.

In the field of literature, Govind Vinayak Kulkarni (1887-1939), better known as Govind Kaka, was a celebrated Marathi playwright and author. His famous works include "Sharda," "Sirawali," and "Shyamchi Aai," which explored social themes and human emotions.

The Kulkarni surname has also been associated with notable personalities in the field of music. Pandit Narayanrao Kulkarni (1865-1937) was a renowned Indian classical vocalist and music educator who contributed significantly to the Gwalior Gharana of Hindustani classical music.

In more recent times, Sukhatme Kulkarni (1907-1996) was a prominent Indian mathematician and statistician. He made significant contributions to the field of probability theory and was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kulkarni

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

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

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

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