2010
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Badhan
Of Punjabi origin, a plant or tree surname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 259 Americans carry the last name Badhan. That puts it at #88,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,323,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Badhan 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 Badhan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
259
1 in 1,323,376
Census rank
#88,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
226
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 226 bearers of the surname Badhan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Badhan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Badhan
The surname Badhan has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
Badhan is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Badhan," which means "bond" or "connection." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who were involved in trade or commerce, possibly acting as intermediaries or facilitators between different parties.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Badhan can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. This document mentions a person named Badhan Singh, who held a prominent position in the imperial court.
During the Mughal era, the Badhan family is believed to have held significant influence and power in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. Some historical records indicate that members of the Badhan clan were landowners and administrators, playing crucial roles in the local governance and economy.
Notable individuals with the surname Badhan include Bhai Mati Das Badhan, a revered Sikh scholar and martyr who lived in the 17th century. He was one of the prominent companions of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, and is remembered for his unwavering faith and sacrifice.
Another prominent figure was Sardar Dyal Singh Badhan, a prominent philanthropist and educationist from the 19th century. He established several educational institutions, including the Dyal Singh College in Lahore (now in Pakistan), which played a crucial role in promoting education and learning in the region.
In the field of literature, Bhai Vir Singh Badhan (1872-1957) was a renowned Sikh scholar, theologian, and writer. He authored numerous works, including the famous novel "Sundari," which explored themes of spirituality and social reform.
The Badhan surname has also been associated with various place names in the regions of Punjab and Haryana. For instance, the village of Badhan in the Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab is believed to have been named after the Badhan clan, who were once influential landowners in the area.
Throughout history, the Badhan surname has been found in various spellings and variations, such as Badhan, Badan, Bhadhan, and Badhan, reflecting the diversity of regional dialects and language influences in the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Badhan
Among Census respondents with the surname Badhan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Badhan 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 Badhan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.7% · 214
- White2.7% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Badhan
Badhan 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
#88,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
+93 bearers (+69.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 39,976 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #88,273 | 226 | 0.08 | +93 bearers (+69.9%) | Up 39,976 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 Badhan 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 | #128,249 | #88,273 | 31.2% |
| Count | 133 | 226 | 69.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.08 | 51.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Badhan bearers went from 133 to 226 (+69.9% change). The surname moved up 39,976 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #88,273.
FAQ
Badhan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Badhan?
Name Census estimates that about 259 living Americans carry the surname Badhan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,323,376 residents.
How common is Badhan?
Badhan ranks #88,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 226 people with the surname Badhan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Badhan.
Has Badhan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Badhan went from 133 recorded bearers to 226. That is an increase of 93 (+69.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #128,249 to #88,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Badhan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Badhan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Badhan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Badhan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.7%), White (2.7%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Badhan (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 Badhan mean?
Of Punjabi origin, a plant or tree surname. 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 Badhan (0.08 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 share the surname Badhan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.