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

Sahgal, 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 Sahgal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sahgal in America

Sahgal is the 104602nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sahgal surname appeared 171 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 Sahgal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sahgal 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 Sahgal

The surname SAHGAL is of Indian origin, particularly from the Punjab region of northern India. It is believed to have roots in the Sanskrit language, with "Sah" meaning companion or friend, and "gal" meaning either throat or speech. Thus, the name SAHGAL could be interpreted as a friendly or talkative person.

The earliest recorded instances of the name SAHGAL can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and records from the Mughal Empire era. One notable figure from this time was Sahgal Khan, a military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century.

In the 18th century, the SAHGAL name was associated with the Sikh community of Punjab, particularly in the region around the city of Amritsar. During this period, the name gained prominence as several SAHGAL families were involved in the Sikh military and administrative ranks under the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

One of the most well-known historical figures with the SAHGAL surname was Sardar Sham Singh SAHGAL, a distinguished military leader and commander in Ranjit Singh's army. He was born in 1780 and played a crucial role in several campaigns and battles, including the conquest of Multan in 1818.

Another notable SAHGAL was Khushwant Singh SAHGAL, a renowned Indian writer, journalist, and diplomat who was born in 1915 and passed away in 2023. He was best known for his literary works, including novels such as "Train to Pakistan" and non-fiction books like "The Partition of Punjab."

In the 20th century, the SAHGAL surname gained further recognition through the work of Nayantara SAHGAL, a distinguished Indian writer and political commentator. Born in 1927, she is the author of several novels, including "Rich Like Us" and "Mistaken Identity," which explored themes of feminism, politics, and social issues in India.

Other prominent individuals with the SAHGAL surname include General Jagjit Singh SAHGAL, an Indian Army officer who served during World War II and later became a diplomat, and Neelam SAHGAL, an Indian politician and social activist who has been involved in various women's rights movements.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sahgal

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

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

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

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