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

Nanji, 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 Nanji surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nanji in America

Nanji is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nanji surname appeared 138 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 Nanji.

The history of the last name Nanji

The surname Nanji has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region that is now known as the state of Gujarat in western India. The name can be traced back to the 14th century, and it is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "nija," which means "own" or "personal."

During the medieval period, the name Nanji was commonly found among the Nagar Brahmin community, a prominent group of Hindu scholars and priests from the region. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in local tax records and land ownership documents from that time.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Nanji can be found in the Akbar Nama, a historical chronicle written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. The text mentions a prominent scholar and astrologer named Nanji Deva, who served at the imperial court.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Nanji was Nanji Kalidas, a Gujarati poet and playwright who made significant contributions to the development of Gujarati literature. His most famous work was the play "Nala Damayanti," based on an ancient Hindu epic.

As the Gujarati community migrated to other parts of India and beyond, the surname Nanji spread to various regions. In the 18th century, there are records of a Nanji family residing in the city of Hyderabad, in the Deccan region of southern India.

Another historical figure of note was Nanji Kalidas Mehta (1799-1889), a prominent scholar and reformer from Gujarat. He played a crucial role in the renaissance of Gujarati language and literature during the 19th century.

Over the centuries, the surname Nanji has also been associated with different professions and trades, including merchants, bankers, and businessmen. Many Nanji families found success in commercial ventures, particularly in the textile and jewelry industries, which were traditional strengths of the Gujarati community.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nanji

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

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 Nanji 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.

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

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

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