2000
#3,377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,691
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.59
Uncommon Last name
Mehta
A surname of Indian origin referring to a record-keeper, accountant, or secretary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,725 Americans carry the last name Mehta. That puts it at #1,861 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,777 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mehta 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 Mehta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,777
Census rank
#1,861
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 18,945 bearers of the surname Mehta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1861st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mehta
The surname "MEHTA" is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Gujarat. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mehta," which means "chief" or "headman." The name can be traced back to the medieval period when it was used to denote a person who held a position of authority or leadership in a village or community.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "MEHTA" can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from Gujarat, dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the "Mehta" family of Sidhpur, a town in the Patan district of Gujarat, whose ancestors were recorded as influential landowners and administrators during the reign of the Solanki dynasty.
In the 16th century, the "MEHTA" surname gained prominence in the city of Ahmedabad, which was a major center of trade and commerce during the Mughal era. Many individuals bearing this surname were involved in textile and textile-related industries, which were flourishing in Ahmedabad at that time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "MEHTA" was Shantidas Mehta (1608-1672), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Ahmedabad. He was responsible for establishing several educational institutions and charitable trusts in the city.
Another notable figure was Nathubhai Mehta (1823-1887), a social reformer and advocate for women's education. He played a pivotal role in establishing the first school for girls in Ahmedabad and worked tirelessly to promote female literacy in Gujarat.
In the field of literature, Kavi Narmad (1833-1886), whose real name was Narmadshankar Mehta, was a renowned Gujarati poet and social reformer. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern Gujarati literature and played a significant role in the renaissance movement in Gujarat during the 19th century.
Moving into the 20th century, Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982), a notable advocate of non-violence and social reform, was born with the surname "MEHTA." He later adopted the name "Bhave" but his original surname was "MEHTA."
Lastly, Zubin Mehta (born 1936) is a world-renowned Indian conductor and music director, who has led some of the most prestigious orchestras around the globe, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mehta
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mehta 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 Mehta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.3% · 17,288
- White3.9% · 740
- Two or more races3.2% · 605
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 188
- Black or African American0.5% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mehta
Mehta 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
#2,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,342
+4,651 bearers (+48.0%)
Per 100,000 4.86
Rank movement Up 851 places
2020
#1,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,945
+4,603 bearers (+32.1%)
Per 100,000 6.34
Rank movement Up 665 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,377 | 9,691 | 3.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,526 | 14,342 | 4.86 | +4,651 bearers (+48.0%) | Up 851 places |
| 2020 | #1,861 | 18,945 | 6.34 | +4,603 bearers (+32.1%) | Up 665 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 Mehta 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 | #2,526 | #1,861 | 26.3% |
| Count | 14,342 | 18,945 | 32.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.86 | 6.34 | 30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mehta bearers went from 14,342 to 18,945 (+32.1% change). The surname moved up 665 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,526 to #1,861.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mehta
FAQ
Mehta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mehta?
Name Census estimates that about 21,725 living Americans carry the surname Mehta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,777 residents.
How common is Mehta?
Mehta ranks #1,861 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.34 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 18,945 people with the surname Mehta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,725), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.34 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Mehta.
Has Mehta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mehta went from 14,342 recorded bearers to 18,945. That is an increase of 4,603 (+32.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,526 to #1,861.
What does the Census say about the background of Mehta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.3%. The next largest groups are White (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Mehta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (17,288 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mehta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.3%), White (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Mehta (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 Mehta mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a record-keeper, accountant, or secretary. 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 Mehta (6.34 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 Mehta?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Mehta, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.