2000
#15,225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,774
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Kapadia
A Parsi surname referring to a resident of the village of Kapadvanj in Gujarat, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,585 Americans carry the last name Kapadia. That puts it at #9,871 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,608 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kapadia 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 Kapadia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,608
Census rank
#9,871
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,126 bearers of the surname Kapadia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9871st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapadia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kapadia
The surname Kapadia originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kapardi," which means a scribe or a writer. The earliest known records of this surname date back to the 12th century CE.
During the medieval period, the Kapadia community was known for their expertise in writing and record-keeping. They played a crucial role in the administrative affairs of various kingdoms and princely states across western and central India. The Kapadia scribes were highly respected for their calligraphic skills and their ability to maintain accurate historical accounts.
One of the earliest documented references to the Kapadia surname can be found in the Bhadreshwar inscriptions, which date back to the late 12th century. These inscriptions, located in the town of Bhadreshwar in Gujarat, contain the names of several Kapadia scribes who were employed by the local rulers.
In the 16th century, a renowned Kapadia scribe named Narayan Kapadia (1525-1595) served as the royal chronicler at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. His meticulously written accounts and chronicles provide invaluable insights into the Mughal administration and cultural life during that era.
Another notable figure from the Kapadia lineage was Samaldas Kapadia (1635-1702), who was a prominent scholar and author of several Sanskrit texts on astronomy, astrology, and mathematics. His works were widely studied and referenced by scholars across the Indian subcontinent.
During the British colonial period, the Kapadia community continued to play a significant role in the administrative and educational sectors. Manmohan Kapadia (1785-1855) was a renowned educationist and social reformer who established several schools and educational institutions in the city of Mumbai (then known as Bombay).
In more recent times, Raman Kapadia (1909-1993) was a distinguished Indian jurist and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India. He played a pivotal role in shaping the country's legal system and upholding the principles of justice and equality.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kapadia
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapadia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kapadia 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 Kapadia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.5% · 2,828
- Two or more races4.2% · 131
- White4.1% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kapadia
Kapadia 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
#12,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,512
+738 bearers (+41.6%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 2,841 places
2020
#9,871
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,126
+614 bearers (+24.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 2,513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,225 | 1,774 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,384 | 2,512 | 0.85 | +738 bearers (+41.6%) | Up 2,841 places |
| 2020 | #9,871 | 3,126 | 1.05 | +614 bearers (+24.4%) | Up 2,513 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 Kapadia 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 | #12,384 | #9,871 | 20.3% |
| Count | 2,512 | 3,126 | 24.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 1.05 | 23.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kapadia bearers went from 2,512 to 3,126 (+24.4% change). The surname moved up 2,513 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,384 to #9,871.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kapadia
FAQ
Kapadia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kapadia?
Name Census estimates that about 3,585 living Americans carry the surname Kapadia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,608 residents.
How common is Kapadia?
Kapadia ranks #9,871 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,126 people with the surname Kapadia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,585), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kapadia.
Has Kapadia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kapadia went from 2,512 recorded bearers to 3,126. That is an increase of 614 (+24.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,384 to #9,871.
What does the Census say about the background of Kapadia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapadia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (4.1%). 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 Kapadia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (2,828 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kapadia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), White (4.1%). 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 Kapadia (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 Kapadia mean?
A Parsi surname referring to a resident of the village of Kapadvanj in Gujarat, India. 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 Kapadia (1.05 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 last name Kapadia?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Kapadia, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.