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

Sarwar, 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 Sarwar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sarwar in America

Sarwar is the 22481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sarwar surname appeared 1,144 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 Sarwar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sarwar 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 Sarwar

The surname Sarwar has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Punjab region that spans parts of modern-day Pakistan and India. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the 12th or 13th century, during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate.

The name is derived from the Persian word "sar," meaning head or chief, and "war," which can be translated as caretaker or guardian. Together, Sarwar can be interpreted as "chief protector" or "head caretaker." This suggests that the name may have been originally bestowed upon individuals who held positions of authority or responsibility within a community or household.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sarwar can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text mentions several individuals with the surname, suggesting that it was well-established by that time.

During the medieval period, the Sarwar surname was particularly prevalent in regions that are now part of modern-day Pakistan, such as Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was also found in areas of northern India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

One notable figure from history who bore the Sarwar surname was Malik Sarwar, a 13th-century military commander who served under the Sultan Iltutmish of the Delhi Sultanate. He was known for his bravery and military prowess, and played a significant role in the expansion of the sultanate's territories.

Another prominent individual was Shaikh Sarwar, a 16th-century Sufi saint and scholar who lived in the city of Multan, now in modern-day Pakistan. He was renowned for his spiritual teachings and is revered by many in the region.

In the 18th century, Sardar Sarwar Khan was a prominent military leader who served under the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Durrani. He was influential in the establishment of the Durrani Empire and played a key role in various military campaigns.

During the 19th century, Sir Ganga Ram Sarwar was a prominent civil engineer and architect who made significant contributions to the development of modern infrastructure in British India. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings and public works projects.

In more recent times, Tufail Muhammad Sarwar was a Pakistani politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom. He was born in 1925 and passed away in 2014.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sarwar

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

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

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

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