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

Vakil, 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 Vakil surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vakil in America

Vakil is the 41728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vakil surname appeared 521 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 Vakil.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vakil 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 Vakil

The surname VAKIL originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Persian language. It can be traced back to the 16th century, during the Mughal Empire era, when the term "vakil" referred to a person who acted as an advocate, attorney, or representative in legal matters.

VAKIL is derived from the Arabic word "wakil," which means "agent" or "representative." During the Mughal period, the term was commonly used to address legal professionals who represented clients in courts or assisted with legal documentation. The name likely emerged as a occupational surname for individuals engaged in such legal roles.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname VAKIL can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative manual written during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions several individuals with the surname VAKIL who held prominent positions in the imperial court.

In the 17th century, the VAKIL family gained prominence in the city of Hyderabad, which was then under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad. Mir Nizam Ali Khan Vakil, born in 1676, was a prominent scholar and poet who served as the Prime Minister (Vakil-e-Saltanat) of Hyderabad during the reign of Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II.

Another notable figure with the surname VAKIL was Rahmatullah Vakil, a 19th-century Indian lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court from 1861 to 1867. He was instrumental in shaping the legal system in British India.

In the 20th century, Sir Muhammad Iqbal Vakil, born in 1915, was a prominent Pakistani lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court from 1970 to 1977. He played a significant role in interpreting and upholding the constitution of Pakistan.

The surname VAKIL has also been associated with various place names in India, such as Vakil Bazar, a historic market area in Surat, Gujarat, and Vakil Garden, a famous garden in Hyderabad, Telangana, which was commissioned by the Vakil family during the Nizam's rule.

While the surname VAKIL has its roots in the legal profession, over time, it has become a widely recognized surname among various communities in South Asia, particularly in India and Pakistan, transcending its original occupational connotation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vakil

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

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

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

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