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

Kumari, 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 Kumari surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kumari in America

Kumari is the 25083rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kumari surname appeared 990 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 Kumari.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kumari 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 Kumari

The surname "KUMARI" is of Indian origin, specifically from the Hindi language. It dates back to ancient times and is derived from the Sanskrit word "kumAri," which means "young woman" or "virgin."

The name is believed to have its roots in the Hindu tradition, where "Kumari" is an epithet used for the goddess Durga or Kali, who is revered as the divine mother and the embodiment of shakti (divine feminine energy). It was likely adopted as a surname by families or individuals who had a strong devotion to these goddesses or their associated temples and shrines.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "KUMARI" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a few individuals with this surname, indicating its use during the Mughal era.

In the medieval period, the name "KUMARI" was also associated with the tradition of the "Kumari Puja," a religious ritual performed in certain regions of India, where a young girl (kumari) is worshipped as a living embodiment of the divine feminine power. Families involved in this ritual tradition often adopted the surname "KUMARI."

Notable individuals throughout history with the surname "KUMARI" include:

1. Raja Ram Kumari (1670-1728), an Indian poet and writer from the Mughal era, known for his works in Hindi and Persian.
2. Tara Kumari (1845-1925), an Indian princess and social reformer from the princely state of Jaipur, who advocated for women's education and founded several schools.
3. Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur (1889-1964), an Indian freedom fighter and politician, who served as the first Health Minister of independent India.
4. Kumari Kamala (1933-2018), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, renowned for her expertise in the Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dance forms.
5. Vijaya Raje Kumari (1919-2009), an Indian politician and member of the Gwalior royal family, who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and later served as a member of parliament.

The surname "KUMARI" has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations in India, such as Kumari Kandam, an ancient legendary landmass believed to have once existed in the Indian Ocean region, and Kumari, a town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kumari

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

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

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

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