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

Shukla, 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 Shukla surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shukla in America

Shukla is the 10159th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shukla surname appeared 3,176 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Shukla.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shukla 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 Shukla

The surname Shukla has its origins in India, tracing back to the ancient Sanskrit language. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "shukla," which translates to "pure" or "bright." This surname was likely adopted by members of the Brahmin caste, who were traditionally known for their scholarly pursuits and dedication to spiritual practices.

The name Shukla can be found in various Hindu scriptures and ancient texts, suggesting its longstanding presence in Indian history. One notable mention is in the Mahabharata, a revered Hindu epic, where the character Shukracharya, also known as Shukla, played a pivotal role as a guru and spiritual teacher.

In the medieval period, the Shukla surname was prevalent among the Hindu community in various regions of India, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. Historical records from this era, such as land grants and inscriptions, often documented individuals bearing the Shukla name.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Shukla was Shukracharya, a renowned Hindu sage who lived around the 8th century BCE. He was known for his vast knowledge of the Vedas and his contributions to the field of astrology.

Another notable figure was Shalikram Shukla, a 15th-century Hindu philosopher and scholar who wrote extensively on the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. His works, such as the "Shri Vidya Ratna," were highly influential in his time.

In the 16th century, Pandit Vireshwar Shukla, a renowned astronomer and mathematician, made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. His work, "Siddhanta Shiromani," was a treatise on astronomical calculations and became a seminal text in Indian astronomy.

During the Mughal era, the Shukla surname was also associated with the literary and artistic spheres. Tulsidas Shukla, a 16th-century poet and philosopher, is renowned for his poetic rendition of the Hindu epic Ramayana, known as the "Ramcharitmanas."

In more recent times, Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982), a prominent Indian scholar, spiritual teacher, and advocate of non-violent social reform, bore the Shukla surname. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and played a significant role in the Bhoodan movement, which aimed to redistribute land to the landless.

While the Shukla name has its roots in ancient India, it has since spread across the globe, with members of the Indian diaspora carrying this surname to various parts of the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shukla

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

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

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

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