2000
#104,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Rare Last name
Rajesh
A surname denoting a king or prince, originating from the Sanskrit word "raja" meaning ruler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,970 Americans carry the last name Rajesh. That puts it at #16,265 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 173,987 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rajesh 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 Rajesh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 173,987
Census rank
#16,265
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,718 bearers of the surname Rajesh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16265th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rajesh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rajesh
The surname Rajesh originates from the Indian subcontinent, particularly from the northern regions of the country. It is a Hindu name that can be traced back to the Sanskrit language. The name Rajesh is derived from the words "Raja" meaning king or ruler, and "Ish" meaning lord or master. Together, the name Rajesh translates to "the lord of kings" or "the king of kings."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Rajesh can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts dating back to the 5th century AD. It was commonly used by members of the royal and aristocratic families, as well as by those associated with positions of power and authority.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Rajesh was Raja Rajesh Chandra, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 8th century AD. He was widely respected for his contributions to the fields of philosophy, literature, and Sanskrit studies.
During the medieval period, the surname Rajesh gained prominence among the ruling dynasties of various kingdoms in northern India. Notable figures included Maharaja Rajesh Singh, a powerful ruler of the Rajput clan who reigned over a vast territory in the 12th century.
In the 16th century, a renowned poet and dramatist named Rajesh Kaviraj gained recognition for his literary works, which were widely celebrated for their poetic brilliance and cultural significance.
The name Rajesh continued to be associated with influential families and individuals throughout the centuries. In the 18th century, Rajesh Narayan Bhatt, a prominent mathematician and astronomer, made significant contributions to the study of celestial bodies and the calculation of planetary movements.
Another notable figure was Rajesh Chandra Dutt, a prominent social reformer and writer who lived in the 19th century. He was a pioneer in advocating for women's rights and education in India and played a crucial role in shaping the social and cultural landscape of his time.
While the surname Rajesh has its roots in ancient India, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, from academia and literature to politics and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rajesh
Among Census respondents with the surname Rajesh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Rajesh 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 Rajesh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.7% · 1,661
- White1.3% · 23
- Two or more races1.0% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rajesh
Rajesh 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
#29,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 805
+646 bearers (+406.3%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 74,891 places
2020
#16,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,718
+913 bearers (+113.4%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Up 13,101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #104,257 | 159 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,366 | 805 | 0.27 | +646 bearers (+406.3%) | Up 74,891 places |
| 2020 | #16,265 | 1,718 | 0.57 | +913 bearers (+113.4%) | Up 13,101 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 Rajesh 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 | #29,366 | #16,265 | 44.6% |
| Count | 805 | 1,718 | 113.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.57 | 112.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rajesh bearers went from 805 to 1,718 (+113.4% change). The surname moved up 13,101 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,366 to #16,265.
FAQ
Rajesh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rajesh?
Name Census estimates that about 1,970 living Americans carry the surname Rajesh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 173,987 residents.
How common is Rajesh?
Rajesh ranks #16,265 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.57 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 1,718 people with the surname Rajesh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,970), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.57 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 Rajesh.
Has Rajesh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rajesh went from 805 recorded bearers to 1,718. That is an increase of 913 (+113.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,366 to #16,265.
What does the Census say about the background of Rajesh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rajesh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.7%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Rajesh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (1,661 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rajesh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.7%), White (1.3%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Rajesh (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 Rajesh mean?
A surname denoting a king or prince, originating from the Sanskrit word "raja" meaning ruler. 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 Rajesh (0.57 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 are called Rajesh?
If you just want to know how common the surname Rajesh is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.