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

Sherwani, 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 Sherwani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sherwani in America

Sherwani is the 89753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sherwani surname appeared 206 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 Sherwani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sherwani 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 Sherwani

The surname "SHERWANI" is of Indian origin, specifically from the northern region of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Persian word "Sherwani," which refers to a knee-length coat or robe traditionally worn by men in the Indian subcontinent.

The earliest known records of the surname "SHERWANI" can be traced back to the 16th century during the Mughal Empire period. This surname was likely associated with individuals who either wore or produced the traditional Sherwani garment, which was popular among the elite and nobility of that era.

One of the earliest documented references to the name "SHERWANI" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative manual commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This work contains records of various professionals and artisans, including tailors and garment makers, some of whom may have been associated with the Sherwani garment.

In the 18th century, the "SHERWANI" surname appeared in various historical records and manuscripts related to the Nawabs (rulers) of the princely states in the northern regions of India. Notable individuals with this surname during this period include Mirza Sherwani Bahadur (1720-1790), a prominent courtier and poet patronized by the Nawab of Awadh.

During the 19th century, the "SHERWANI" surname gained further prominence as several individuals bearing this name held influential positions in the courts of various princely states. One such figure was Sir Syed Ahmed Sherwani (1835-1902), a renowned educator and social reformer who founded the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College (now Aligarh Muslim University) in 1875.

Another notable person with the "SHERWANI" surname was Begum Qudsia Sherwani (1855-1932), an influential philanthropist and social activist from Lucknow, who played a significant role in promoting women's education and welfare in the region.

In the 20th century, the "SHERWANI" surname continued to be associated with influential personalities, such as Sir Akbar Sherwani (1892-1976), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Pakistan.

It is worth noting that the "SHERWANI" surname is often found in various spellings, such as "Sherwani," "Sherwany," or "Sherwanie," reflecting the linguistic diversity and regional variations within the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sherwani

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

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

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

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