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

Vaka, 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 Vaka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaka in America

Vaka is the 64054th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaka surname appeared 311 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 Vaka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaka 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 Vaka

The surname VAKA is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the regions of Punjab and Sindh, during the 16th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "vak," which means "speech" or "voice," suggesting that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who were skilled orators, poets, or storytellers.

In the early 1600s, records indicate the presence of individuals bearing the VAKA surname in the city of Lahore, which was a prominent cultural and literary center during the Mughal Empire. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a manuscript titled "Diwan-e-Shams-e-Tabriz," a collection of poems by the renowned Persian poet Rumi, dated around 1620.

The earliest recorded individual with the VAKA surname is believed to be Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. Although his surname is not explicitly mentioned in historical texts, some scholars suggest that his family name may have been VAKA, given their ancestral roots in the region.

Another notable figure with the VAKA surname was Mian Muhammad Bakhsh VAKA (1830-1912), a renowned Sufi poet and mystic from Punjab. His poetic works, particularly his collection titled "Kulyat-e-Bakhsh," are widely acclaimed for their spiritual depth and literary elegance.

In the 19th century, the VAKA surname gained prominence in the region of Sindh, with several individuals making significant contributions to the literary and cultural landscape. One such individual was Mirza Qaleech Beg VAKA (1853-1929), a celebrated Sindhi poet and scholar who played a pivotal role in the revival of Sindhi literature.

During the British colonial era in India, several individuals with the VAKA surname held prominent positions in the administrative and judicial systems. Notable among them was Sir Shams-ud-din VAKA (1867-1942), who served as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court from 1924 to 1932.

While the surname VAKA is relatively uncommon in the modern era, its historical significance lies in its association with literary and cultural figures who have left a lasting impact on the regions of Punjab and Sindh, as well as on the broader Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaka

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

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

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

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