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

Sawhney, 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 Sawhney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sawhney in America

Sawhney is the 25640th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sawhney surname appeared 962 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 Sawhney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sawhney 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 Sawhney

The surname Sawhney is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and present-day Pakistan. It is considered a Hindu name with roots dating back several centuries.

The name Sawhney is derived from the Sanskrit word "Suvarna," which means "golden" or "golden-colored." It is thought to have been originally used as a title or descriptor for individuals involved in the trade or crafting of gold and precious metals.

Historical records suggest that the Sawhney surname can be traced back to the 16th century, with mentions of individuals bearing this name in various ancient manuscripts and chronicles. However, it is possible that the name existed even earlier, as written records from that era are limited.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Sawhney name is found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text contains references to individuals with the surname Sawhney who held prominent positions within the Mughal court and administration.

In the 17th century, the Sawhney name appeared in various merchant records and trade documents, indicating that members of this community were involved in commercial activities, particularly in the trade of precious metals and gemstones.

Several notable individuals have borne the Sawhney surname throughout history. One such figure is Lala Lajpat Rai (1865-1928), a prominent Indian independence activist, political theorist, and author who played a pivotal role in the Indian freedom movement against British colonial rule.

Another prominent Sawhney was Jagdish Chandra Bose (1858-1937), a pioneering Indian scientist known for his groundbreaking work in the field of biophysics and his contributions to the study of plant life and radio waves.

In the 20th century, Kewal Krishan Sawhney (1920-2002) gained recognition as a renowned Indian architect and urban planner, responsible for designing several iconic buildings and urban development projects in India.

Satinder Sawhney (1935-2017) was a distinguished Indian diplomat who served as India's ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Renu Sawhney (born 1958) is a well-known Indian classical dancer and choreographer, recognized for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian dance forms.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sawhney

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!