2000
#28,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 784
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Shroff
An occupational surname referring to a money lender or banker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,444 Americans carry the last name Shroff. That puts it at #21,203 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 237,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shroff 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 Shroff with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 237,365
Census rank
#21,203
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,259 bearers of the surname Shroff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21203rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shroff, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shroff
The surname SHROFF has its origins in India, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Persian word "sarraf," which means "money changer" or "banker." In India, the Shroffs were a community of bankers and money lenders who played a crucial role in facilitating trade and commerce.
The name was initially associated with the wealthy and influential families involved in banking and financial activities. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents and manuscripts from the Mughal era, such as the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative manual commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname SHROFF was Virji Vorah Shroff, a prominent banker and financier who lived in the 17th century. He was renowned for his wealth and influence, and his family played a significant role in the financial affairs of the Mughal Empire.
In the 18th century, the SHROFF family gained prominence in the city of Surat, a major trading hub in western India. Govindram Shroff, born in 1736, was a prominent banker and merchant in Surat, known for his philanthropic activities and involvement in the city's affairs.
During the British colonial period in India, the SHROFF community continued to play a vital role in the financial sector. Nathubhai Shroff, born in 1833, was a prominent banker and businessman in Bombay (now Mumbai). He established one of the earliest modern banking institutions in the city and was instrumental in shaping the financial landscape of the region.
Another notable figure with the surname SHROFF was Jamnadas Shroff, born in 1875. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to education and social welfare initiatives in India.
Over the centuries, the SHROFF name has been associated with wealth, banking, and finance, reflecting the community's historical role in these sectors. While the surname has its roots in India, it has spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shroff
Among Census respondents with the surname Shroff, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shroff 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 Shroff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander82.1% · 1,034
- White11.2% · 141
- Two or more races4.8% · 61
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 11
- Black or African American0.8% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shroff
Shroff 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
#23,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,094
+310 bearers (+39.5%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 5,334 places
2020
#21,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,259
+165 bearers (+15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 2,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,617 | 784 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,283 | 1,094 | 0.37 | +310 bearers (+39.5%) | Up 5,334 places |
| 2020 | #21,203 | 1,259 | 0.42 | +165 bearers (+15.1%) | Up 2,080 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 Shroff 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 | #23,283 | #21,203 | 8.9% |
| Count | 1,094 | 1,259 | 15.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.42 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shroff bearers went from 1,094 to 1,259 (+15.1% change). The surname moved up 2,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,283 to #21,203.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shroff
FAQ
Shroff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shroff?
Name Census estimates that about 1,444 living Americans carry the surname Shroff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 237,365 residents.
How common is Shroff?
Shroff ranks #21,203 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.42 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 1,259 people with the surname Shroff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,444), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.42 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 Shroff.
Has Shroff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shroff went from 1,094 recorded bearers to 1,259. That is an increase of 165 (+15.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,283 to #21,203.
What does the Census say about the background of Shroff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shroff, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.1%. The next largest groups are White (11.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Shroff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.1% (1,034 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shroff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (82.1%), White (11.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Shroff (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 Shroff mean?
An occupational surname referring to a money lender or banker. 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 Shroff (0.42 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 Shroff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.