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

Wardak, 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 Wardak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wardak in America

Wardak is the 46647th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wardak surname appeared 456 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 Wardak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wardak 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 Wardak

The surname Wardak has its origins in Afghanistan, specifically in the Wardak Province, located in the central region of the country. The name can be traced back to the 16th century and is believed to be derived from the Persian word "vardak," meaning "small village" or "hamlet."

One of the earliest recorded references to the Wardak surname can be found in the memoirs of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, who mentioned the Wardak region during his conquest of Afghanistan in the early 16th century. The name was also documented in various Persian and Afghan manuscripts from that era, often in relation to the local tribes and clans residing in the Wardak Province.

In the 17th century, the Wardak region played a significant role in the power struggles between various Afghan tribes and rulers. The Wardak clan, led by figures such as Mir Wais Hotak (c. 1673-1715), was instrumental in the overthrow of the Safavid Persian Empire's control over parts of present-day Afghanistan.

During the 19th century, the Wardak surname gained further prominence when Dost Mohammad Khan (1793-1863), the founder of the Barakzai dynasty and the first Emir of the Emirate of Afghanistan, appointed several members of the Wardak clan to high-ranking positions within his government.

Notable individuals with the Wardak surname throughout history include:

1. Mir Wais Hotak (c. 1673-1715), a prominent Afghan tribal leader and the founder of the Hotaki dynasty, who led the uprising against the Safavid Persian Empire.
2. Dost Mohammad Khan (1793-1863), the first Emir of the Emirate of Afghanistan and a member of the Barakzai clan, who appointed several Wardak individuals to important positions.
3. Abdul Rahim Wardak (1925-2021), an Afghan politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Defense and the Minister of the Interior in the Afghan government.
4. Rahim Wardak (born c. 1970), an Afghan military officer who served as the Deputy Minister of Defense and the Commander of the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command.
5. Obaidullah Wardak (born c. 1965), an Afghan politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and the Ambassador to the United States.

While the Wardak surname has its roots in the Wardak Province of Afghanistan, it has since spread to other regions and countries due to migration and diaspora. However, the name's historical significance remains closely tied to its Afghan origins and the influential role played by the Wardak clan in the country's turbulent past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wardak

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

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

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

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