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

Rehal, 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 Rehal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rehal in America

Rehal is the 88336th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rehal surname appeared 210 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 Rehal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rehal 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 Rehal

The surname "REHAL" originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Punjab region. It is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit language, where the word "rehal" means "to wander" or "to roam." This suggests that the name may have been given to a group of people who were nomadic or traveled frequently.

The earliest known records of the surname "REHAL" can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Punjab. During this time, the area was ruled by various Muslim empires, and it is possible that the name was adopted or influenced by the Persian language, which was widely used in administrative and literary contexts.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name "REHAL" appears in various historical documents and records related to the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company's administration in Punjab. One notable individual bearing this surname was Sardar Hari Singh Rehal (1785-1844), a prominent Sikh leader and a close confidant of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the founder of the Sikh Empire.

Another significant figure was Bawa Rehal Singh (1880-1949), a renowned Sikh scholar and spiritual leader who played a crucial role in reviving and promoting the Sikh faith during the early 20th century. He established numerous educational institutions and published several books on Sikhism.

In the field of literature, Gurbachan Singh Rehal (1912-1986) was a celebrated Punjabi writer and poet. He was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1970 for his literary contributions.

The surname "REHAL" has also been associated with various place names in Punjab, such as Rehal Khurd and Rehal Kalan, which were villages or settlements that may have been named after individuals or families bearing this surname.

It is worth noting that the surname "REHAL" has undergone various spelling variations over time, including "Rehaal," "Rehaul," and "Rehaul." However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the Punjab region and its linguistic heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rehal

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

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

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

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