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

Taneja, 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 Taneja surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Taneja in America

Taneja is the 34707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Taneja surname appeared 651 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 Taneja.

We can also compare 2010 data for Taneja 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 Taneja

The surname Taneja originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the northern region of Punjab. It is believed to have roots dating back to the 16th century or earlier. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "tanaya," which means "offspring" or "child." It was likely adopted as a surname to signify one's lineage or ancestry.

In ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts, the word "tanaya" was commonly used to refer to children or descendants. As surnames became more prevalent in India, families or clans may have adopted variations of this word as their last name, including Taneja.

One of the earliest known references to the name Taneja can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text mentions several individuals with the surname Taneja, suggesting that the name was already in use during the Mughal period.

Notable individuals with the surname Taneja throughout history include:

1. Balwant Singh Taneja (1886-1962), an Indian freedom fighter and political activist who participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
2. Kailash Nath Taneja (1898-1976), an Indian academic and author who served as the Vice-Chancellor of Panjab University and wrote extensively on Punjabi literature and culture.
3. Radha Krishan Taneja (1910-1993), an Indian civil servant who held various high-ranking positions in the Indian Administrative Service during the British Raj and post-independence era.
4. Bhisham Sahni (1915-2003), born Bhisham Sahni Taneja, was a renowned Hindi writer and playwright known for his works that explored social issues and the Partition of India.
5. Jagat Narain Taneja (1922-2008), an Indian politician who served as a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party.

While the surname Taneja is most commonly associated with the Punjabi-speaking regions of India and Pakistan, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diasporas. However, its origins can be traced back to the rich cultural heritage of northern India, where it emerged as a family name signifying one's lineage and ancestry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Taneja

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

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

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

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