Mittal last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mittal

A surname of Hindu origin meaning a beloved friend or companion.

Mittal, 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 Mittal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mittal in America

Mittal is the 16136th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mittal surname appeared 1,793 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 Mittal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mittal 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 16136 25945 -46.62%
Count 1,793 889 67.41%
Proportion per 100k 0.61 0.33 59.57%

The history of the last name Mittal

The surname Mittal originates from the Indian subcontinent, particularly the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mitta," which means "friend" or "ally." The name is believed to have emerged around the 12th century during the medieval period.

The earliest records of the Mittal surname can be found in ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts, where individuals with this name were often mentioned as traders, merchants, or members of the merchant class. The name's connection to the word "Mitta" suggests that the Mittals may have been known for their friendly and trustworthy business dealings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mittal name is found in the "Prithviraj Raso," a medieval Sanskrit epic poem written in the 12th century. The poem mentions a character named Mittal, who was a wealthy merchant involved in trade between different regions of India.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century, the Mittals played a significant role in the region's economic and cultural life. Several prominent Mittal families were engaged in various professions, including trade, banking, and administrative roles within the Mughal bureaucracy.

One notable figure from this period was Mian Mittal, a wealthy merchant and financier who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his involvement in trade with other parts of Asia and even Europe, and his business acumen helped him amass a considerable fortune.

In the 19th century, during the British Raj, the Mittal surname gained further prominence. Lala Shri Ram Mittal (1819-1891) was a renowned philanthropist and industrialist from Calcutta (now Kolkata). He established several educational institutions and was actively involved in social reforms aimed at improving the lives of the underprivileged.

Another influential Mittal was Sir Ganga Ram Mittal (1851-1927), a civil engineer and architect who made significant contributions to the urban development of cities like Lahore and Peshawar (now in Pakistan). He was responsible for designing and constructing several iconic buildings and infrastructure projects during the British colonial era.

In more recent times, the Mittal name has gained global recognition thanks to the success of the Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who founded ArcelorMittal, one of the world's largest steel companies. Born in 1950 in Rajasthan, India, Lakshmi Mittal has been consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mittal

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

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 Mittal was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.18% 75
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 93.64% 1,679
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.00% 18
Hispanic Origin 0.78% 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 Mittal has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.18% 9.00% -73.14%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 93.64% 86.39% 8.05%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.00% 3.71% -115.07%
Hispanic 0.78% 0.56% 32.84%

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

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

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"Mittal last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mittal-surname-popularity/.

"Mittal last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mittal-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

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

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