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

Sengupta, 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 Sengupta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sengupta in America

Sengupta is the 22436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sengupta surname appeared 1,147 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 Sengupta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sengupta 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 Sengupta

The surname Sengupta is of Indian origin, specifically from the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the combination of two Bengali words, "Sen" and "Gupta," where "Sen" is a title or honorific meaning "chief" or "leader," and "Gupta" is an ancient Indian surname that means "protected" or "hidden."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Sengupta can be found in historical documents and manuscripts from the Bengal region during the rule of various medieval dynasties, such as the Sena Dynasty and the Pala Empire. The Sengupta surname was prominent among Brahmin families and scholars in Bengal, indicating their status and reputation for learning and wisdom.

One of the earliest known references to the Sengupta surname is found in the "Mangalkavya," a genre of medieval Bengali literature that celebrated the deities and their devotees. The works of renowned poets and scholars like Krittibas Ojha and Bipradas Pipilai mention individuals with the Sengupta surname.

In the 16th century, the Sengupta family played a significant role in the cultural and literary renaissance of Bengal during the reign of the Nawabs of Bengal. Notable figures from this period include Bharat Chandra Ray Sengupta (1601-1651), a celebrated poet and composer, and Raghunandan Sengupta (1547-1617), a Sanskrit scholar and author of the "Raghuvamsasangrahah," a work on the genealogy of the Raghunath family.

During the British colonial period, several Sengupta individuals made their mark in various fields. Kaliprasanna Sengupta (1840-1917) was a renowned educator and social reformer who played a pivotal role in the establishment of Hindu College, now known as Presidency University, in Kolkata. Jyotirindranath Sengupta (1887-1937) was a prominent writer, journalist, and freedom fighter who actively participated in the Indian independence movement.

Another notable figure was Prafulla Chandra Sengupta (1888-1959), a pioneering Indian scientist and inventor who made significant contributions to the fields of geology and metallurgy. He is credited with the invention of the "Sengupta Reagent," a chemical compound used in analytical chemistry.

Sengupta is a well-established surname in India, particularly in the states of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura, where individuals with this surname have made significant contributions to various aspects of Indian society, including literature, education, science, and politics.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sengupta

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

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

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

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