2010
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tanghal
A surname potentially derived from a place name or occupation related to the word "tanghal" in certain languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Tanghal. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tanghal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Tanghal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanghal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and White (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tanghal
The surname TANGHAL is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Punjab. Its roots can be traced back to the Sanskrit language, where the word "tanghal" was used to refer to a specific type of agricultural implement or tool. This suggests that the name may have been derived from an occupation or profession related to farming or agriculture.
The earliest known records of the TANGHAL surname date back to the 16th century, where it appears in several historical documents and manuscripts from the Mughal Empire. One notable mention is found in a land registry document from the reign of Akbar the Great, where a person named Govind TANGHAL is listed as a landowner in the village of Sirhind, now located in the modern-day state of Punjab, India.
During the 17th century, the TANGHAL surname spread beyond the Punjab region as people migrated to other parts of the subcontinent. In 1652, a merchant named Kanha TANGHAL is recorded as having established a successful trading business in the city of Surat, which was then a prominent commercial hub in Gujarat.
As the British East India Company expanded its influence in India, the TANGHAL name began appearing in colonial records. In 1765, a man named Ranjit TANGHAL served as a local administrator in the district of Patna, which was under the control of the East India Company at the time.
One of the most notable individuals with the TANGHAL surname was Bhagwant TANGHAL (1825-1891), a renowned scholar and teacher from Punjab. He was highly regarded for his contributions to the study of Sikh scriptures and his efforts in promoting education among the Sikh community.
Another prominent figure was Kartar Singh TANGHAL (1876-1942), a political activist and freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement. He was imprisoned several times by the British authorities for his involvement in protests and civil disobedience campaigns.
In the 20th century, Gurmukh Singh TANGHAL (1912-1987) gained recognition as a renowned Punjabi poet and writer. His works often explored themes of social justice, human rights, and the struggles of the marginalized communities in Punjab.
While the TANGHAL surname continues to be found predominantly in the Indian state of Punjab and among the Punjabi diaspora around the world, it has also spread to other regions through migration and intermarriage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tanghal
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanghal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and White (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tanghal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tanghal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.1% · 90
- Two or more races7.5% · 8
- White4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tanghal
Tanghal appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,438 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Tanghal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,201 | #151,639 | -3.7% |
| Count | 113 | 107 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tanghal bearers went from 113 to 107 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #151,639.
FAQ
Tanghal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tanghal?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Tanghal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Tanghal?
Tanghal ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Tanghal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tanghal.
Has Tanghal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tanghal went from 113 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Tanghal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tanghal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and White (4.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tanghal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tanghal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.1%), Two or More Races (7.5%), White (4.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Tanghal (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Tanghal mean?
A surname potentially derived from a place name or occupation related to the word "tanghal" in certain languages. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Tanghal (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Tanghal?
Find out how common the surname Tanghal is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.