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

Mehta, 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 Mehta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mehta in America

Mehta is the 2526th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mehta surname appeared 14,342 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Mehta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mehta 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 Mehta

The surname "MEHTA" is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Gujarat. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mehta," which means "chief" or "headman." The name can be traced back to the medieval period when it was used to denote a person who held a position of authority or leadership in a village or community.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "MEHTA" can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from Gujarat, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the "Mehta" family of Sidhpur, a town in the Patan district of Gujarat, whose ancestors were recorded as influential landowners and administrators during the reign of the Solanki dynasty.

In the 16th century, the "MEHTA" surname gained prominence in the city of Ahmedabad, which was a major center of trade and commerce during the Mughal era. Many individuals bearing this surname were involved in textile and textile-related industries, which were flourishing in Ahmedabad at that time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "MEHTA" was Shantidas Mehta (1608-1672), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Ahmedabad. He was responsible for establishing several educational institutions and charitable trusts in the city.

Another notable figure was Nathubhai Mehta (1823-1887), a social reformer and advocate for women's education. He played a pivotal role in establishing the first school for girls in Ahmedabad and worked tirelessly to promote female literacy in Gujarat.

In the field of literature, Kavi Narmad (1833-1886), whose real name was Narmadshankar Mehta, was a renowned Gujarati poet and social reformer. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern Gujarati literature and played a significant role in the renaissance movement in Gujarat during the 19th century.

Moving into the 20th century, Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982), a notable advocate of non-violence and social reform, was born with the surname "MEHTA." He later adopted the name "Bhave" but his original surname was "MEHTA."

Lastly, Zubin Mehta (born 1936) is a world-renowned Indian conductor and music director, who has led some of the most prestigious orchestras around the globe, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mehta

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

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

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

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