2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Adani
A surname of Indian origin, likely derived from a place name or a community name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Adani. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adani 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Adani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adani, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adani
The surname Adani is of Indian origin and is believed to have its roots in the western state of Gujarat. It is thought to have derived from the word "Adan," which means a trader or merchant in the Gujarati language. Gujarat has a long history of trade and commerce, dating back to ancient times.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Adani can be traced back to the 16th century, when the name appears in various historical documents and records from the region. During this period, many merchant communities flourished in Gujarat, and it is likely that the name Adani was adopted by a family or individuals involved in trading activities.
One of the earliest known references to the name Adani is found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This work contains a detailed account of the administrative and economic affairs of the Mughal Empire, including information on various communities and their occupations.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Adani name appeared in several historical records and documents related to trade and commerce in Gujarat. Some notable individuals with the surname Adani from this period include:
1. Ambalal Adani (1760-1832), a prominent merchant and trader from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
2. Harilal Adani (1805-1875), a successful businessman and landowner from Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
3. Keshavlal Adani (1840-1910), a wealthy trader and philanthropist from Surat, Gujarat.
As the Adani family's fortunes grew, they established themselves as influential figures in the region's commercial and social circles. Some members of the family were also known for their contributions to education, culture, and philanthropy.
In the 20th century, the Adani name gained further prominence with the rise of the Adani Group, a diversified business conglomerate founded by Gautam Adani (born in 1962). Gautam Adani is one of the most successful and influential industrialists in modern India, with interests spanning various sectors, including ports, logistics, energy, and infrastructure.
Another notable figure with the surname Adani is Rajesh Adani (born in 1964), who is the Managing Director of the Adani Group and Gautam Adani's elder brother. He has played a crucial role in the group's growth and expansion over the years.
While the surname Adani has its roots in Gujarat, it has since spread to other parts of India and the world, with individuals of Indian descent carrying this name in various countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adani
Among Census respondents with the surname Adani, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Adani 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 Adani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White48.6% · 54
- Black or African American26.1% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander19.8% · 22
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adani
Adani 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+9 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 9,767 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 Adani 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 | #158,432 | #148,665 | 6.2% |
| Count | 102 | 111 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adani bearers went from 102 to 111 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 9,767 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #148,665.
FAQ
Adani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adani?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Adani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Adani?
Adani ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Adani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Adani.
Has Adani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adani went from 102 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 9 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Adani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adani, the largest self-reported group is White at 48.6%. The next largest groups are Black (26.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 48.6% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (48.6%), Black (26.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (19.8%). 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 Adani (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 Adani mean?
A surname of Indian origin, likely derived from a place name or a community name. 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 Adani (0.04 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 Adani?
Want to know how many people are called Adani? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.