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

Prabhakar, 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 Prabhakar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prabhakar in America

Prabhakar is the 31001st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prabhakar surname appeared 749 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 Prabhakar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prabhakar 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 Prabhakar

The surname Prabhakar has its origins in India, and it can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "prabha," meaning light or radiance, and "kar," meaning maker or creator. Thus, the name Prabhakar can be interpreted as "the one who creates light or radiance."

In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, the name Prabhakar is often associated with the Sun God, Surya, who is revered as the giver of light and energy. This connection suggests that the surname may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who were considered enlightened or radiant in their teachings, deeds, or spiritual attainments.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Prabhakar can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from various regions of India, dating back to the medieval period. One notable example is the Prabhakar Stone Inscription, a 10th-century inscription found in the Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh, which mentions individuals with the surname Prabhakar.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Prabhakar. One prominent figure was Prabhakar Shastri (1853-1911), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and author from Uttar Pradesh. He made significant contributions to the study and preservation of ancient Sanskrit literature and was awarded the prestigious title of "Mahamahopadhyaya" (Great Teacher) by the British government.

Another notable Prabhakar was Prabhakar Kaushik (1902-1981), a pioneering Indian film director and screenwriter. He is credited with directing the first Indian talkie film, "Alam Ara," in 1931, which marked a significant milestone in the history of Indian cinema.

In the field of literature, Prabhakar Machwe (1932-2018) was a prominent Marathi poet and writer from Maharashtra. He was honored with several prestigious awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Shri, for his remarkable contributions to Marathi literature.

Prabhakar Narayan (1914-1985) was a renowned Indian classical musician and vocalist from Uttar Pradesh. He was a prominent exponent of the Kirana gharana (musical tradition) and performed extensively both in India and abroad, earning widespread acclaim for his mastery of Hindustani classical music.

Lastly, Prabhakar Raghavan is a contemporary figure who serves as a senior executive at Google. He is the company's Senior Vice President and the head of Google Search, overseeing the development and implementation of Google's search technologies.

These examples illustrate the diverse fields and domains in which individuals with the surname Prabhakar have made significant contributions throughout history, reflecting the essence of the name's meaning – the creators and bearers of light and radiance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prabhakar

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

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

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

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