2010
#91,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Karmakar
A surname indicating an occupational connection with people involved in religious rituals or rites.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 428 Americans carry the last name Karmakar. That puts it at #58,695 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 800,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karmakar 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
428
1 in 800,828
Census rank
#58,695
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
373
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 373 bearers of the surname Karmakar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58695th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karmakar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karmakar
The surname Karmakar is an occupational surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word 'karmakar' meaning 'artisan' or 'craftsman'. It is believed to have originated in the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the states of West Bengal and Bangladesh, during the medieval period.
The earliest known reference to the Karmakar surname can be traced back to the 16th century when it appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the region. One notable mention is found in the 'Akbarnama', a 16th-century biographical account of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, where a skilled artisan named Karmakar is mentioned.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name gained prominence in the region, with several Karmakar families establishing themselves as skilled artisans and craftsmen. One notable figure from this period was Ramkrishna Karmakar (1653-1714), a renowned sculptor and architect who contributed to the construction of several temples and monuments in the region.
In the 19th century, the Karmakar surname was associated with the Bengal Renaissance, a socio-cultural and religious movement that swept through the region. One prominent figure from this era was Ishwar Chandra Karmakar (1821-1891), a social reformer and educator who played a significant role in promoting education and women's rights.
Another notable Karmakar was Birendranath Karmakar (1885-1964), a pioneering Indian chemist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry. He served as the Head of the Chemistry Department at Calcutta University and was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Government of India.
In more recent times, the name Karmakar has been associated with various fields, including sports, literature, and politics. One notable individual is Dipa Karmakar (born 1993), an Indian artistic gymnast who became the first Indian female gymnast to qualify for the Olympic Games in 2016.
While the Karmakar surname is primarily found in the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical roots and significance of the name remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karmakar
Among Census respondents with the surname Karmakar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Karmakar 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 Karmakar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.7% · 357
- White1.9% · 7
- Two or more races1.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karmakar
Karmakar 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
#58,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+173 bearers (+86.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 33,286 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #91,981 | 200 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #58,695 | 373 | 0.12 | +173 bearers (+86.5%) | Up 33,286 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 Karmakar 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 | #91,981 | #58,695 | 36.2% |
| Count | 200 | 373 | 86.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.12 | 78.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karmakar bearers went from 200 to 373 (+86.5% change). The surname moved up 33,286 positions in the national ranking, going from #91,981 to #58,695.
FAQ
Karmakar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karmakar?
Name Census estimates that about 428 living Americans carry the surname Karmakar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 800,828 residents.
How common is Karmakar?
Karmakar ranks #58,695 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 373 people with the surname Karmakar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (428), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Karmakar.
Has Karmakar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karmakar went from 200 recorded bearers to 373. That is an increase of 173 (+86.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #91,981 to #58,695.
What does the Census say about the background of Karmakar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karmakar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Karmakar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (357 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karmakar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.7%), White (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Karmakar (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 Karmakar mean?
A surname indicating an occupational connection with people involved in religious rituals or rites. 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 Karmakar (0.12 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 Karmakar?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.