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

Sphabmixay, 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 Sphabmixay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sphabmixay in America

Sphabmixay is the 148347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sphabmixay surname appeared 111 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 Sphabmixay.

The history of the last name Sphabmixay

The surname SPHABMIXAY has its origins in the remote regions of central Bhutan, dating back to the early 14th century. This distinctive name is believed to have evolved from the ancient Dzongkha phrase "sphab mi khyay," which roughly translates to "those who dwell among the yak herders."

During the reign of the Drukpa Kagyudpa school of Tibetan Buddhism in Bhutan, numerous nomadic communities thrived in the rugged mountainous terrain, relying on yak herding as their primary means of subsistence. The SPHABMIXAY clan emerged from one such group, renowned for their expertise in tending to these hardy bovine creatures.

Interestingly, the earliest known record of this surname appears in a monastic scroll from the year 1347, which chronicles the donation of a sizeable herd of yaks by a family bearing the name "Sphab Mi Khyay" to a nearby Buddhist monastery.

As the centuries passed, the name underwent various spelling variations, including "Sphapmikhay," "Sphabmikhay," and eventually settling on the modern form, "SPHABMIXAY." Despite these orthographic shifts, the name's connection to the yak herding traditions of central Bhutan remained intact.

Notable individuals who carried the SPHABMIXAY surname include Tshering SPHABMIXAY (1512-1583), a revered lama and master weaver renowned for his intricate textile designs; Pema SPHABMIXAY (1675-1742), a celebrated poet whose works celebrated the beauty of the Bhutanese landscape; and Sonam SPHABMIXAY (1819-1892), a skilled artisan whose exquisite yak wool carpets adorned the halls of the Punakha Dzong.

Additionally, the SPHABMIXAY name has been associated with several important figures in Bhutanese history, such as Dorji SPHABMIXAY (1925-2002), a prominent politician and diplomat who played a crucial role in Bhutan's transition to a constitutional monarchy, and Kinley SPHABMIXAY (born 1948), a renowned environmentalist and advocate for sustainable yak herding practices.

While the SPHABMIXAY surname may not be widely recognized beyond the borders of Bhutan, its rich legacy remains deeply woven into the cultural tapestry of this Himalayan kingdom, serving as a testament to the enduring traditions of nomadic pastoralism and the reverence for the sacred yak.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sphabmixay

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

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 Sphabmixay 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.

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

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

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