Explore the Family Name Kulkarni
The meaning of Kulkarni
Indian (Maharashtra, Karnataka): Brahmin name, from Marathi kuḷkərṇi ‘village clerk’ (from Sanskrit kula ‘family, community’ + karaṇa ‘writer’ or karṇī ‘helmsman’). The kulkarni was a village official under the patel (village headman); he kept the accounts of the cultivators for the government and also for public records. The office of kulkarni was hereditary. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Arun, Pradeep, Deepa, Prakash, Ravi, Sunil, Ajit, Anil, Ashok, Sandeep, Sudhir, Ajay.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kulkarni in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kulkarni saw a significant increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Kulkarni was ranked 13,407th, while its rank jumped to 7,390 by 2010, showing an impressive change of approximately 44.88%. The count of people with this surname also grew from 2,083 to 4,506 during the same period, marking a substantial jump of 116.32%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Kulkarni per 100,000 individuals nearly doubled, rising from 0.77 to 1.53.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,407 | #7,390 | 44.88% |
| Count | 2,083 | 4,506 | 116.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.77 | 1.53 | 98.7% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kulkarni
When it comes to Kulkarni's ethnic identity distribution, as per the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, there were prominent shifts from 2000 to 2010. The most common ethnicity associated with this surname is Asian/Pacific Islander, which increased from 92.32% to 95.87%. However, there were notable decreases in other ethnicities. For instance, the proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races fell by 70.68%, and the percentage of white individuals dropped by 22.85%. The Hispanic category also saw a minor decline from 0.53% to 0.44%. Meanwhile, the percentages of Black individuals and American Indian and Alaskan Natives were both suppressed for privacy reasons in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 92.32% | 95.87% | 3.85% |
| White | 3.02% | 2.33% | -22.85% |
| Two or More Races | 3.65% | 1.07% | -70.68% |
| Hispanic | 0.53% | 0.44% | -16.98% |
| Black | 0.24% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.24% | 0% | 0% |
Kulkarni ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Kulkarni is Southern Indian Subgroup, which comprises 55.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Northern Indian & Pakistani (17.7%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (16.8%). Additional ancestries include French & German, British & Irish, Bengali & Northeast Indian, Gujarati Patidar, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Southern Indian Subgroup | 55.3% |
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 17.7% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 16.8% |
| Other | 10.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Kulkarni
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Kulkarni have recent ancestry locations in India and .
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra, India | 63.40% |
| Karnataka, India | 58.10% |
| Tamil Nadu, India | 47.30% |
| Kerala, India | 46.20% |
| Andhra Pradesh, India | 44.10% |
What Kulkarni haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Kulkarni is R-Z93, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z93 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include J-M172 and R-L657, which are predominantly found among people with European and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Shaikh, Krishnan, Choudhury, Khan, Raja, Siddiqui, Zaman, Iyer, Chandra, Gandhi.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Kulkarni surname are: M, U2, R. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Kulkarni have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Kulkarni" Surname 23.8%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Kulkarni" Surname 41.9%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Kulkarni" Surname 16.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Kulkarni" Surname 10.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Kulkarni?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Kulkarni are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition