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

Sawant, 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 Sawant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sawant in America

Sawant is the 36900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sawant surname appeared 605 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 Sawant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sawant 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 Sawant

The surname Sawant is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Maharashtra. It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century CE.

Sawant is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Swami,' which means 'lord' or 'master.' It was a title bestowed upon learned scholars, religious leaders, and prominent individuals in ancient India. Over time, the title became a surname for the families of these individuals.

The earliest known historical reference to the Sawant surname can be found in the Marathi language literature and records from the Yadava dynasty, which ruled parts of Maharashtra between the 12th and 14th centuries. Some notable individuals with the Sawant surname from this period include Hemadri Sawant, a renowned scholar and author of the 13th century.

During the reign of the Maratha Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Sawant surname gained prominence, particularly among the Marathi Brahmin community. Several influential figures from this era bore the Sawant name, such as Pillaji Sawant, a military leader and commander under Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire.

Another notable historical figure was Vithoji Sawant, a 17th-century poet and composer who contributed significantly to the Marathi literary tradition. His works, including the popular devotional songs known as 'Abhangs,' are still widely celebrated today.

In more recent history, Gajanan Sawant (1892-1963) was a prominent social reformer and leader of the non-Brahmin movement in Maharashtra, advocating for the rights and upliftment of backward communities.

The Sawant surname has also been associated with various place names in Maharashtra, such as Sawantwadi, a former princely state located in the Konkan region. The rulers of this state, known as the Sawant Bhonsles, were renowned for their patronage of arts and culture.

While the Sawant surname is predominantly found in Maharashtra, it has also spread to other parts of India and the world due to migration and diasporas. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Vinayak Sawant, a legendary Indian cricketer from the early 20th century, and Vishwanath Sawant, a renowned classical vocalist and exponent of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sawant

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

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

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

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