2010
#86,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 217
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Chamlagai
A surname of Nepali origin meaning 'inhabitant of Chamlagai village'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 502 Americans carry the last name Chamlagai. That puts it at #51,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 682,778 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chamlagai 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
502
1 in 682,778
Census rank
#51,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
438
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 438 bearers of the surname Chamlagai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamlagai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chamlagai
The surname Chamlagai has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Rajasthan, India. The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 16th centuries CE. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "chamlagati," which means "beguiling movement" or "alluring grace," and "gai," meaning "cow."
Chamlagai is thought to have been a descriptive surname initially given to individuals who were known for their graceful or captivating movements, possibly related to their occupation or personal characteristics. The association with cows may have been a reference to their involvement in animal husbandry or pastoral activities.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Rajasthani chronicles of the 14th century, where a nobleman named Jagmal Chamlagai is described as a skilled horseman and warrior in the service of the Maharaja of Mewar.
Another notable bearer of the name was Rani Chamlagai, a 16th-century Rajput queen known for her beauty and courage. She is said to have played a significant role in defending her kingdom against invaders.
In the 17th century, a renowned poet and scholar named Govind Chamlagai gained recognition for his works in Sanskrit and Brajbhasha, a literary language derived from Hindi. His poetry is still studied and celebrated in certain regions of India.
During the 18th century, the Chamlagai family was prominent in the region of Marwar, with several members serving as advisors and administrators in the court of the Rathore rulers.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Chamlagai was Mahendra Singh Chamlagai, a 19th-century military leader who served in the British Indian Army. He distinguished himself in various battles and was awarded several honors for his bravery and leadership.
While the surname Chamlagai may have originated in Rajasthan, over time, it has spread to other parts of India and beyond, as people migrated and settled in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chamlagai
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamlagai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Chamlagai 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 Chamlagai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander99.1% · 434
- White0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chamlagai
Chamlagai appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#51,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 438
+221 bearers (+101.8%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 34,642 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #86,005 | 217 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #51,363 | 438 | 0.15 | +221 bearers (+101.8%) | Up 34,642 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 Chamlagai 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 | #86,005 | #51,363 | 40.3% |
| Count | 217 | 438 | 101.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.15 | 109.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chamlagai bearers went from 217 to 438 (+101.8% change). The surname moved up 34,642 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,005 to #51,363.
FAQ
Chamlagai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chamlagai?
Name Census estimates that about 502 living Americans carry the surname Chamlagai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 682,778 residents.
How common is Chamlagai?
Chamlagai ranks #51,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 438 people with the surname Chamlagai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (502), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Chamlagai.
Has Chamlagai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chamlagai went from 217 recorded bearers to 438. That is an increase of 221 (+101.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,005 to #51,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Chamlagai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chamlagai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.1%. The next largest groups are White (0.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Chamlagai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (434 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chamlagai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (99.1%), White (0.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Chamlagai (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 Chamlagai mean?
A surname of Nepali origin meaning 'inhabitant of Chamlagai village'. 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 Chamlagai (0.15 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 common is the surname Chamlagai?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Chamlagai, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.