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

Misra, 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 Misra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Misra in America

Misra is the 18431st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Misra surname appeared 1,502 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 Misra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Misra 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 Misra

The surname Misra is of Indian origin, specifically from the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century CE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "misra," which means "mixed" or "blended," potentially referring to a person of mixed ancestry or someone who belonged to a mixed caste or community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Misra can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata. These texts mention individuals with the surname Misra, often associated with scholarly or priestly roles within the Hindu tradition. The name is also present in various historical records and manuscripts from the medieval era, particularly those related to religious and philosophical texts.

In the 13th century, a prominent scholar and philosopher named Madhavacharya Misra (1238-1317) lived in the Dwaraka region of Gujarat. He wrote several influential works on Vedanta philosophy and is considered one of the most influential thinkers of his time. Another notable figure was Narayan Misra (1499-1581), a renowned poet and writer from the Braj region of northern India, who made significant contributions to Hindi literature.

During the Mughal period, which spanned from the 16th to the 19th century, the name Misra was often associated with learned individuals and scholars. One such figure was Raja Todar Mal Misra (1530-1589), a renowned finance minister and one of the most trusted advisors of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He is credited with reforming the revenue system and introducing policies that improved agricultural productivity.

In more recent history, Jayaprakash Misra (1908-1988) was a prominent Indian independence activist and social reformer who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of marginalized communities in India.

Another notable figure was Sumitranandan Pant Misra (1920-1997), a celebrated Hindi poet and writer who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Hindi literature. His works explored themes of social injustice, poverty, and the human condition, and he received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to Hindi poetry.

The surname Misra has also been associated with various place names and older spellings over the centuries. For example, the town of Misrikh in Uttar Pradesh is believed to have derived its name from the Misra community that settled there. Additionally, variations such as Mishra, Mishri, and Mishri have been used historically, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Misra

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

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

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

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