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

Munshi, 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 Munshi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Munshi in America

Munshi is the 30477th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Munshi surname appeared 766 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Munshi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Munshi 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 Munshi

The surname MUNSHI is of Indian origin, specifically from the Hindi language. It emerged during the medieval period in the Indian subcontinent, around the 12th to 16th centuries.

MUNSHI is derived from the Persian word "munshi," which means a writer, secretary, or clerk. The name was initially used to refer to individuals who were proficient in written language and employed as scribes or record-keepers in various administrative or literary roles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MUNSHI can be found in the Akbarnama, a 16th-century biography of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions several individuals with the title "Munshi," indicating their roles as writers or secretaries in the imperial court.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname MUNSHI was Isardas Nagar Munshi, a renowned poet and author from Agra. His literary works, including the Nagar Shobha and Ardhkathanak, are considered significant contributions to the Hindi literary tradition.

Another prominent individual with the surname MUNSHI was Kavi Kalidas Munshi (1888-1971), an Indian writer, scholar, and politician. He served as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh and played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement, working closely with Mahatma Gandhi.

The name MUNSHI is also associated with Lilavati Munshi (1863-1938), a pioneering Indian social reformer and educator. She established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote women's education in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the realm of literature, Khushwant Singh Munshi (1915-2014) was a renowned Indian author, journalist, and diplomat. His works, including novels, short stories, and non-fiction, provided insightful perspectives on Indian culture, history, and society.

The surname MUNSHI has also been found in various historical records and manuscripts from different regions of India, reflecting the widespread presence of individuals with this occupation across the subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Munshi

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

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

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

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