2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bahu
A surname meaning daughter-in-law or son's wife in various Indian languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 209 Americans carry the last name Bahu. That puts it at #104,723 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,639,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bahu surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
209
1 in 1,639,973
Census rank
#104,723
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
182
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 182 bearers of the surname Bahu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 104723rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bahu, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bahu
The surname "BAHU" has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, tracing back to the ancient Sanskrit language. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "bahu," which means "arm" or "strength." The name may have been adopted as a surname to signify physical prowess or might.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "BAHU" can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document from the Mughal Empire. The text mentions several individuals bearing this surname, indicating its presence in the region during that period.
In the realm of historical figures, Maharaja Fateh Singh Bahu, who lived from 1784 to 1823, was a prominent ruler of the princely state of Bhunga in present-day Rajasthan, India. He was known for his bravery and military exploits against the Marathas and the British East India Company.
Another notable individual with the surname "BAHU" was Pandit Shree Nath Bahu, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 18th century. He authored several literary works and was celebrated for his mastery of the Sanskrit language.
In the field of sports, Balwant Singh Bahu, born in 1935, was a legendary Indian wrestler who won multiple national and international championships. He was awarded the Arjuna Award, India's highest sporting honor, in recognition of his achievements.
The name "BAHU" has also been associated with certain place names in India. For instance, the town of Bahu in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating the presence of families with this last name in the region.
While the surname "BAHU" has its roots in India, it has also been adopted by various communities across the world, particularly those with ancestral ties to the Indian subcontinent. The name has undergone slight variations in spelling over time, but its connection to the Sanskrit word "bahu" remains a consistent thread throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bahu
Among Census respondents with the surname Bahu, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bahu bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bahu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 165
- Two or more races4.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bahu
Bahu appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#118,853
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
+27 bearers (+22.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 12,513 places
2020
#104,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
+36 bearers (+24.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 14,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,853 | 146 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+22.7%) | Up 12,513 places |
| 2020 | #104,723 | 182 | 0.06 | +36 bearers (+24.7%) | Up 14,130 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bahu surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #118,853 | #104,723 | 11.9% |
| Count | 146 | 182 | 24.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 21.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bahu bearers went from 146 to 182 (+24.7% change). The surname moved up 14,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,853 to #104,723.
FAQ
Bahu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bahu?
Name Census estimates that about 209 living Americans carry the surname Bahu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,639,973 residents.
How common is Bahu?
Bahu ranks #104,723 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 182 people with the surname Bahu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bahu.
Has Bahu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bahu went from 146 recorded bearers to 182. That is an increase of 36 (+24.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #118,853 to #104,723.
What does the Census say about the background of Bahu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bahu, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bahu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (165 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bahu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bahu (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bahu mean?
A surname meaning daughter-in-law or son's wife in various Indian languages. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bahu (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Bahu?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.