2000
#12,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Kapoor
An occupational surname referring to a cotton or cloth merchant, trader, or seller in South Asia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,963 Americans carry the last name Kapoor. That puts it at #6,295 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kapoor 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 Kapoor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,480
Census rank
#6,295
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,200 bearers of the surname Kapoor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6295th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapoor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kapoor
The surname Kapoor is a Hindu Brahmin name that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit word "Kapoor" which means "camphor" or "fragrance." The name is predominantly found in northern India, particularly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi.
The earliest known reference to the name Kapoor can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was used as a title or honorific for individuals belonging to the priestly class. The name gained prominence during the medieval period when members of the Kapoor family held influential positions in various royal courts across northern India.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kapoor can be found in the writings of the 16th-century Mughal historian, Abul Fazl, who mentions a prominent Brahmin family by the name of Kapoor in his work, the Akbarnama. This family was known for their scholarly pursuits and held significant influence during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
In the 17th century, the Kapoor family gained further recognition when Raj Kapoor, a renowned scholar and astronomer, served as the chief minister to the Maharaja of Jaipur. Raj Kapoor's contributions to the field of astronomy and his literary works are still widely studied and celebrated today.
Another notable figure with the surname Kapoor was Prithviraj Kapoor, a pioneering actor and director in the Indian film industry. Born in 1906, Prithviraj Kapoor is considered one of the founding fathers of Hindi cinema and played a pivotal role in shaping the early years of Bollywood. His legacy continues through his descendants, including the renowned actors Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, and Rishi Kapoor.
The Kapoor surname has also been associated with several historical places and landmarks. For instance, the Kapoor Haveli, a magnificent haveli (mansion) located in Peshawar, Pakistan, was built in the 18th century by a wealthy Kapoor family and stands as a testament to their architectural patronage.
Throughout history, the Kapoor surname has been alternatively spelled as Kapur, Kapoor, or Kapoor, reflecting regional variations and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in the ancient Sanskrit word "Kapoor," signifying its deep-seated connection to the rich cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kapoor
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapoor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kapoor 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 Kapoor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.5% · 4,603
- White5.0% · 262
- Two or more races4.4% · 227
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 23
- Black or African American0.4% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kapoor
Kapoor 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
#8,663
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,794
+1,541 bearers (+68.4%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 3,942 places
2020
#6,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,200
+1,406 bearers (+37.1%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 2,368 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,605 | 2,253 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,663 | 3,794 | 1.29 | +1,541 bearers (+68.4%) | Up 3,942 places |
| 2020 | #6,295 | 5,200 | 1.74 | +1,406 bearers (+37.1%) | Up 2,368 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 Kapoor 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 | #8,663 | #6,295 | 27.3% |
| Count | 3,794 | 5,200 | 37.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.74 | 34.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kapoor bearers went from 3,794 to 5,200 (+37.1% change). The surname moved up 2,368 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,663 to #6,295.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kapoor
FAQ
Kapoor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kapoor?
Name Census estimates that about 5,963 living Americans carry the surname Kapoor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,480 residents.
How common is Kapoor?
Kapoor ranks #6,295 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,200 people with the surname Kapoor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,963), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Kapoor.
Has Kapoor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kapoor went from 3,794 recorded bearers to 5,200. That is an increase of 1,406 (+37.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,663 to #6,295.
What does the Census say about the background of Kapoor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kapoor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Kapoor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,603 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kapoor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.5%), White (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Kapoor (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 Kapoor mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cotton or cloth merchant, trader, or seller in South Asia. 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 Kapoor (1.74 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 Americans have the surname Kapoor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.