Mistry last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mistry

An occupational surname referring to a skilled craftsman, builder, or mason, derived from the Latin word "misterium" meaning "trade."

Mistry, 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 Mistry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mistry in America

Mistry is the 8832nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mistry surname appeared 3,710 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 Mistry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mistry 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 8832 11653 -27.54%
Count 3,710 2,466 40.28%
Proportion per 100k 1.26 0.91 32.26%

The history of the last name Mistry

The surname Mistry originated in India and has its roots in the ancient Gujarati language. It is derived from the word 'Mistry', which means 'skilled artisan' or 'craftsman'. The name is particularly prevalent among the Parsi community, who migrated to India from Persia (modern-day Iran) during the 8th century AD.

The earliest recorded instances of the Mistry surname can be traced back to the 15th century in parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It was often associated with individuals who worked as skilled carpenters, masons, or builders, reflecting the profession's significance in shaping the region's architectural heritage.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Mistry surname was Jamshedji Mistry, a prominent architect and builder who lived in the late 16th century. He is credited with designing and constructing several notable structures, including the Chaukundi Tombs in Ahmedabad, which are considered architectural marvels of their time.

In the 18th century, the Mistry surname gained prominence with the rise of Parsi entrepreneurs and industrialists. Ardeshir Mistry, born in 1729, was a successful merchant and one of the pioneers of the Indian textile industry. His legacy continued through his descendants, who played a significant role in the country's economic development.

Another noteworthy figure was Dadabhai Mistry, a prominent Parsi scholar and linguist who lived from 1802 to 1871. He made significant contributions to the study and preservation of the Avestan language, which is the sacred language of Zoroastrianism.

During the 19th century, the Mistry surname gained further recognition with individuals like Cowasjee Mistry, a philanthropist and industrialist who established several educational institutions and charitable organizations in Bombay (now Mumbai).

As the Indian diaspora spread across the globe, the Mistry surname has become prominent in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with a significant Parsi population, such as North America and the United Kingdom. Notable individuals with the Mistry surname include Rohinton Mistry, a renowned Canadian author of Parsi descent, and Zubin Mistry, a British actor and writer.

Throughout history, the Mistry surname has been closely associated with skilled craftsmanship, entrepreneurship, and intellectual pursuits, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name to various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mistry

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

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 Mistry was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.37% 125
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.38% 14
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 93.05% 3,452
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.24% 9
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.59% 96
Hispanic Origin 0.38% 14

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 Mistry has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.37% 4.10% -19.54%
Black 0.38% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 93.05% 88.24% 5.31%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.24% 0.32% -28.57%
Two or More Races 2.59% 7.06% -92.64%
Hispanic 0.38% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Mistry last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mistry-surname-popularity/.

"Mistry last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mistry-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Mistry last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mistry-surname-popularity/.

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