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

Purewal, 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 Purewal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Purewal in America

Purewal is the 36337th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Purewal surname appeared 616 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 Purewal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Purewal 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 Purewal

The surname Purewal is of Punjabi origin, hailing from the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have originated in the region of Punjab, which is now divided between India and Pakistan. The name can be traced back to the 16th or 17th century.

The name Purewal is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pur,' meaning town or city, and the Punjabi word 'val,' which refers to a resident or inhabitant. Thus, Purewal literally translates to "one who lives in a town or city." This suggests that the name was likely given to people who resided in urban areas or settlements during that time period.

In the early days, surnames were often based on one's occupation, location, or physical traits. The name Purewal may have been initially adopted by individuals who lived in towns or cities, distinguishing them from those who lived in rural areas or villages.

While there are no definitive records of the name appearing in ancient manuscripts or chronicles, some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Purewal can be found in historical documents from the 18th and 19th centuries in the Punjab region.

Notable individuals with the surname Purewal include Bishan Singh Purewal, a renowned Punjabi poet and writer who lived in the early 20th century (1898-1976). Another prominent figure was Gurbaksh Singh Purewal, a Sikh scholar and historian who made significant contributions to the study of Sikhism (1912-1999).

Jagjit Singh Purewal (1931-2021) was a prominent Indian politician and member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament. Hardev Singh Purewal (1920-2000) was a distinguished Punjabi writer and playwright, known for his contributions to Punjabi literature.

Jagir Singh Purewal (1903-1982) was a notable Indian freedom fighter and political activist who participated in the struggle for India's independence from British rule.

The Purewal name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, scholars, politicians, and freedom fighters, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bear this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Purewal

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

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

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

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