Explore the Family Name Kanhai

The meaning of Kanhai

Indian (Bihar): 1. probably a habitational name from Kanhai village in Darbhanga district (Bihar). 2. alternatively, from a shortened form of the Sanskrit personal name Kanhaiya ‘young person’, one of the names of Lord Krishna. This surname is also established in Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Kanhai has seen considerable growth in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 65,862nd and by 2010 it had risen to the rank of 51,941st, marking a noteworthy increase of 21.14 percent. Moreover, the number of people with the Kanhai surname increased from 281 in 2000 to 400 in 2010, a significant jump of 42.35 percent. The proportion per 100k people also saw a substantial rise during this period from 0.1 to 0.14, an increase of 40 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#65,862#51,94121.14%
Count28140042.35%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1440%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kanhai

When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows interesting changes for those with the Kanhai surname from 2000 to 2010. The largest ethnic group identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, which grew from 39.15 percent to 42.25 percent. However, the most dramatic shift occurred within the Black community, which saw an impressive increase of 248.65 percent, moving from 9.25 percent of the Kanhai population in 2000 to 32.25 percent in 2010. Some groups experienced declines; notably, individuals identifying as two or more races decreased from 38.08 percent to 14.00 percent. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native have slightly reduced, dropping by 22.34 percent and 39.76 percent respectively.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander39.15%42.25%7.92%
Black9.25%32.25%248.65%
Two or More Races38.08%14%-63.24%
Hispanic6.76%5.25%-22.34%
White4.27%4.75%11.24%
American Indian and Alaskan Native2.49%1.5%-39.76%