Explore the Family Name Beharry

The meaning of Beharry

Indian: from an Anglicized form of Hindi bihārī, a common final element in Indian personal names, an alternate form of Sanskrit vihārī, meaning ‘one who roams about for pleasure’ or ‘beautiful’. This surname is found mainly in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana; it is not used in India. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Basdeo, Devanand, Dhanraj, Indra, Jagan, Lilowtie, Mahadeo, Oudit, Parmanand, Rajendra, Savitri, Seeta.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Beharry in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Beharry has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In terms of ranking, it moved from 31,986 in 2000 to 26,549 in 2010, showing an increase of 17%. The count of individuals with this surname also surged by almost 35%, from 681 in 2000 to 918 in 2010. Furthermore, its proportion per 100,000 people increased by 24% over the decade, moving from 0.25 to 0.31.

20002010Change
Rank#31,986#26,54917%
Count68191834.8%
Proportion per 100k0.250.3124%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Beharry

With respect to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those with the surname Beharry between 2000 and 2010. Notably, there was a significant increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, with increases of 61.08% and 63.72% respectively. On the contrary, there was a substantial decrease of 79.71% for those identifying with two or more races. For those identifying as White, Hispanic, and American Indian and Alaskan Native, the changes were relatively minimal, with shifts of -0.84%, 1.03%, and -34.89% respectively. Overall, these shifts suggest a dynamic change in the ethnic identities associated with the surname Beharry over this decade.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander24.82%39.98%61.08%
Black20.56%33.66%63.72%
White13.07%12.96%-0.84%
Two or More Races34.36%6.97%-79.71%
Hispanic4.85%4.9%1.03%
American Indian and Alaskan Native2.35%1.53%-34.89%