Find out how popular the last name Acharya is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Acharya.

Acharya, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Acharya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Acharya in America

Acharya is the 12101st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Acharya surname appeared 2,575 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Acharya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Acharya to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Acharya

The surname Acharya originates from the Sanskrit language in the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'acharya' which means a teacher or a preceptor. The word itself has its roots in the Sanskrit term 'achar' meaning conduct or behavior.

Acharya was originally used as a title for religious teachers and scholars in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It was particularly prevalent among the Brahmin community in India who were known for their scholarly pursuits. Over time, the title transformed into a surname, adopted by families engaged in religious and educational activities.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Acharya can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts such as the Vedas and Upanishads, where it was used to refer to renowned sages and philosophers. One of the most renowned Acharyas in Hindu mythology is Adi Shankara, an 8th-century Indian philosopher and theologian who revived the tradition of Advaita Vedanta.

In Buddhist tradition, the term Acharya was used to refer to highly respected teachers and spiritual guides. One of the most notable figures was Nagarjuna, an Acharya who lived in the 2nd century CE and is considered the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism.

The surname Acharya is also found in historical records from various parts of India, particularly in regions like Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Vidyaranya Acharya, a 14th-century Hindu philosopher and spiritual leader who played a significant role in the Vijayanagara Empire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Acharya include Jagannath Acharya (1624-1694), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet from Bengal, and Prafulla Chandra Acharya (1865-1947), a prominent Indian educator and social reformer who established several educational institutions in Bengal.

In the modern era, the surname Acharya has been carried by several influential figures such as Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982), a renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual leader who played a pivotal role in the Bhoodan and Gramdan movements, and Acharya Kripalani (1888-1982), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as the President of the Indian National Congress.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Acharya

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Acharya.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Acharya was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Acharya has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Acharya was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Acharya, please contact us.

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