Explore the Family Name Mughal

The meaning of Mughal

Pakistani: from an Urdu spelling of Persian Mughul, literally ‘Mongol’. This was the name of the dynasty, of Mongolian origin, which ruled most of northern India from the 16th to the 19th centuries, noted for their military prowess, efficient administration, and religious tolerance. The surname is also found in India. Compare Mogul.

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

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

The surname Mughal has seen a considerable increase in popularity over the years, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, it ranked 39,560th in commonality but jumped to 24,370th by 2010, showing an impressive 38.4% change. The number of individuals bearing this surname also nearly doubled from 523 in 2000 to 1,028 in 2010, marking a growth rate of 96.56%. Accordingly, the proportion of people with the Mughal surname per 100,000 individuals rose by 84.21%, moving from 0.19 to 0.35.

20002010Change
Rank#39,560#24,37038.4%
Count5231,02896.56%
Proportion per 100k0.190.3584.21%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mughal

When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that most people with the Mughal surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group represented 75.91% of all Mughals in 2000 and grew to an even larger majority of 89.01% by 2010, indicating an increase of 17.26%. Those identifying with two or more races dropped sharply from 12.62% to 2.33% during the same period. Meanwhile, the percentage of White individuals decreased by 42.81%, while the proportion of Hispanics saw a slight increase from 1.72% to 2.04%. There were no individuals who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either census year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander75.91%89.01%17.26%
White9.18%5.25%-42.81%
Two or More Races12.62%2.33%-81.54%
Hispanic1.72%2.04%18.6%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%