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

Mahar, 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 Mahar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahar in America

Mahar is the 9803rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahar surname appeared 3,302 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 Mahar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mahar 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 Mahar

The surname Mahar is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Maha,' which means 'great' or 'eminent,' and the suffix 'ar,' indicating a person or community.

The earliest recorded instances of the Mahar surname can be traced back to the 12th century CE, during the reign of the Yadava dynasty in the Deccan region. The name was initially associated with the Mahar caste, a community that played a significant role in agricultural and military activities in medieval Maharashtra.

In the 16th century, the Mahar surname gained prominence during the reign of the Maratha Empire. Several historical records from this period mention notable figures bearing the Mahar surname, including military commanders and administrators who served under the Maratha rulers.

One of the earliest documented references to the Mahar surname can be found in the Bakhars, a collection of historical chronicles from the Maratha period. These manuscripts provide insights into the lives and deeds of prominent Mahar individuals, such as Yashwantrao Mahar, a renowned military leader who served under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century.

Throughout history, the Mahar surname has been associated with several notable individuals. For example, Gopal Mahar (1852-1923) was a prominent social reformer and educator who played a crucial role in the upliftment of the Mahar community in Maharashtra. Babasaheb Ambedkar (1891-1956), the architect of the Indian Constitution and a leading figure in the Dalit rights movement, was also born into the Mahar caste.

Another influential figure with the Mahar surname was Ramji Mahar (1871-1942), a pioneering writer and journalist who contributed significantly to the development of Marathi literature. His works shed light on the struggles and aspirations of the Mahar community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Mahar surname has also been associated with various place names in Maharashtra. For instance, the town of Maharvadi in the Kolhapur district is believed to have derived its name from the Mahar community that historically inhabited the region.

It is important to note that the Mahar surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Maharu, Mahar, and Mehar, reflecting regional linguistic differences and transcription practices.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahar

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Mahar, 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!