2000
#62,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Bana
A surname of Turkish origin meaning "with me" or "by me".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 489 Americans carry the last name Bana. That puts it at #52,580 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 700,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bana 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bana with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
489
1 in 700,929
Census rank
#52,580
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
426
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 426 bearers of the surname Bana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52580th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bana, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 35.4%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and White (24.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bana
The surname BANA is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is thought to have first emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name BANA is derived from the Sanskrit word "bana," which means "arrow" or "dart." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who were skilled archers or warriors.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BANA can be found in the Bana Bhatta, an ancient Sanskrit text composed by the poet and scholar Bana, who lived in the 7th century CE. In this work, the author recounts the exploits of King Harsha of Thanesar, providing valuable insights into the cultural and historical context of the time.
The BANA surname has also been linked to various place names in India, particularly in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. For example, the village of Banaras, now known as Varanasi, is believed to have been named after a ruler or notable figure with the surname BANA.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname BANA. One such figure is Bana Singh (1949-2022), an Indian Army officer who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor, for his exceptional bravery during the 1987 Siachen Glacier conflict with Pakistan.
Another prominent BANA was Bhagwati Charan Bana (1875-1923), a renowned Indian writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of Hindi literature. His works, including "Bhakti Sudha" and "Nirjhar," explored themes of spirituality and devotion.
In the field of music, Pandit Brij Bhushan Bana (1921-1996) was a celebrated Indian classical vocalist and composer. He was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, for his contributions to the arts.
The BANA surname can also be found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and diaspora communities. For instance, Dr. Anita Bana (1967-), an American physician and academic, is of Indian descent and has made significant contributions to the field of medical education.
While the origins of the BANA surname can be traced back to ancient India, its legacy has endured across generations and continents, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bana
Among Census respondents with the surname Bana, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 35.4%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and White (24.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bana 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 Bana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander35.4% · 151
- Black or African American26.5% · 113
- White24.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino10.3% · 44
- Two or more races3.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bana
Bana 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
#55,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 367
+69 bearers (+23.2%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 6,934 places
2020
#52,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 426
+59 bearers (+16.1%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 3,261 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #62,775 | 298 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,841 | 367 | 0.12 | +69 bearers (+23.2%) | Up 6,934 places |
| 2020 | #52,580 | 426 | 0.14 | +59 bearers (+16.1%) | Up 3,261 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 Bana 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 | #55,841 | #52,580 | 5.8% |
| Count | 367 | 426 | 16.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.14 | 18.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bana bearers went from 367 to 426 (+16.1% change). The surname moved up 3,261 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,841 to #52,580.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bana
FAQ
Bana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bana?
Name Census estimates that about 489 living Americans carry the surname Bana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 700,929 residents.
How common is Bana?
Bana ranks #52,580 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 426 people with the surname Bana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (489), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Bana.
Has Bana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bana went from 367 recorded bearers to 426. That is an increase of 59 (+16.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #55,841 to #52,580.
What does the Census say about the background of Bana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bana, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 35.4%. The next largest groups are Black (26.5%) and White (24.4%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 35.4% (151 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.4%), Black (26.5%), White (24.4%). 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 Bana (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 Bana mean?
A surname of Turkish origin meaning "with me" or "by me". 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 Bana (0.14 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 have the surname Bana?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.