Agarwal
A North Indian surname commonly linked to the merchant community of Agarwal/Agrawal, traditionally associated with trade and the legendary city of Agroha.
The #6,285 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 56,796 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Agarwal is a South Asian surname usually taken from the name of the Agarwal community, a Hindu mercantile group from North India. The name is commonly explained as meaning 'of Agroha' or 'descendant of Agroha,' Agroha being a traditional ancestral center associated with the community. The form is often related to Sanskrit and Hindi place-name traditions rather than to an occupation in the narrow English sense.
History
The surname is especially common among Marwari and other trading communities of northern India and has spread widely through migration within India and into the global diaspora. Spellings vary because the name has been transliterated into English in more than one way, including Agarwal, Agrawal, Aggarwal, and Agarwala. In modern use it functions both as a family name and as a marker of community identity.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The community name is often linked in tradition to Agroha, an ancient town in present-day Haryana that remains important in Agarwal identity.