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

Vasisht, 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 Vasisht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vasisht in America

Vasisht is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vasisht surname appeared 115 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 Vasisht.

The history of the last name Vasisht

The surname Vasisht is of Hindu origin and has its roots in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Vasishtha', which means 'the most excellent' or 'the most wealthy'. The name is closely associated with one of the revered Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages) of Hinduism, Rishi Vasishtha, who is believed to have lived during the Vedic period (c. 1500–500 BCE).

The Vasisht surname can be traced back to the Brahmin caste, particularly those belonging to the Vasishtha gotra (lineage). In ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Puranas and the Upanishads, there are numerous references to Rishi Vasishtha and his descendants, indicating the prevalence of this name among the Brahmin communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vasisht surname can be found in the Rajatarangini, a 12th-century metrical chronicle written by Kalhana, which chronicles the history of the Kashmir region. The text mentions several individuals bearing the Vasisht surname, suggesting its use among the Hindu population of Kashmir during that period.

In the 16th century, the Sanskrit scholar and poet Vasisht Bhatt Kavindracharya (c. 1550–1610) was a notable figure who hailed from the Vasisht lineage. He authored several works on grammar, poetry, and philosophy, and was patronized by the Mughal emperor Akbar.

Another prominent figure bearing the Vasisht surname was Pandit Vasisht Narayan Vishnu Shastri (1824–1899), a renowned scholar of Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy. He served as the principal of the Sanskrit College in Varanasi and authored several books on Vedanta and Hindu scriptures.

In more recent history, Kaka Vasisht Kalelkar (1885–1981) was a notable freedom fighter and social reformer from Maharashtra. He played an active role in the Indian independence movement and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.

Vasishtha Narayan Singh (1918–2002), a mathematician and educator from Uttar Pradesh, made significant contributions to the field of functional analysis and served as the Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University.

Vasisht is a surname that continues to be prevalent among Brahmin communities, particularly in northern and western regions of India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra. Its rich historical legacy spans several centuries and is deeply rooted in the ancient Hindu tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vasisht

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

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 Vasisht 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.

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

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

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