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

Varanasi, 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 Varanasi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Varanasi in America

Varanasi is the 55121st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Varanasi surname appeared 373 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 Varanasi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Varanasi 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 Varanasi

The surname VARANASI originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the city of Varanasi (also known as Benares or Kashi) in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. This name can be traced back to ancient times, as Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with a history that spans over 3,000 years.

The name VARANASI is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words "Varana" (meaning "to leave" or "to abandon") and "Asi" (meaning "to remain" or "to dwell"), suggesting a place where people abandoned their sins and chose to dwell in spiritual pursuit. The city of Varanasi has been a revered religious and cultural center for Hindus, and it is considered one of the holiest cities in Hinduism.

Historical references to the name VARANASI can be found in various ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads, which describe the city's significance and its association with the River Ganges. The name VARANASI has also been mentioned in several ancient Sanskrit texts, including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name VARANASI can be found in the writings of the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang, who visited India during the 7th century CE. He referred to the city as "Polonesinai," which is believed to be a transliteration of the Sanskrit name "Varanasi."

Over the centuries, several notable figures have borne the surname VARANASI, including:

1. Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012), a renowned Indian musician and composer, widely considered one of the greatest sitar players of all time.
2. Tulsi Das (1532-1623), a Hindu poet and philosopher who wrote the famous Sanskrit epic Ramcharitmanas.
3. Kabir (1440-1518), a renowned mystic poet and saint who influenced the Bhakti movement in medieval India.
4. Udit Narayan Varanasi (born 1955), an Indian playback singer known for his contributions to Bollywood music.
5. Maharshi Mahesh Yogi (1918-2008), an Indian guru who introduced the Transcendental Meditation technique to the Western world.

The name VARANASI has also been associated with various place names and localities within and around the city of Varanasi, such as Varanasi Ghats (a series of steps leading down to the River Ganges), Varanasi Railway Station, and Varanasi University.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Varanasi

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

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

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

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