2000
#27,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 838
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Bajaj
An Indian surname derived from the word for a trader or grocer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,277 Americans carry the last name Bajaj. That puts it at #14,454 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bajaj 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 Bajaj with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,529
Census rank
#14,454
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,986 bearers of the surname Bajaj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14454th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bajaj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bajaj
The surname BAJAJ originated in India, with records of the name dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "vanij," meaning "merchant" or "trader." The name was initially associated with the Vaishya community, one of the four traditional social classes in Hinduism, known for their involvement in trade and business activities.
The BAJAJ surname was particularly prevalent in the northern and western regions of India, including the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. In some historical documents, the name was also spelled as "Bajaj," "Bajaaj," or "Bajaji," reflecting local variations in pronunciation and scribal practices.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the BAJAJ name can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text lists several individuals with the surname BAJAJ as serving in various administrative and financial roles within the Mughal Empire.
In the 18th century, the BAJAJ family gained prominence in the city of Marwar (present-day Jodhpur, Rajasthan), where they established themselves as successful merchants and businessmen. Notably, Shri Shiv Narayan Bajaj (1730-1795) was a prominent figure in the region, known for his entrepreneurial acumen and philanthropic endeavors.
Another notable individual with the BAJAJ surname was Jamnalal Bajaj (1884-1942), a prominent industrialist and freedom fighter from Maharashtra. He played a significant role in India's independence movement and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Jamnalal Bajaj's grandson, Rahul Bajaj (1938-2022), carried forward the family's industrial legacy and was the former chairman of the Bajaj Group, a leading Indian conglomerate.
In the literary realm, Naina Devi Bajaj (1936-2022) was a renowned Hindi poet and writer, recognized for her contributions to modern Hindi literature. She received numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors.
The BAJAJ surname has also been associated with academic and scientific achievements. Vishnu Hari Bajaj (1936-2022) was a prominent Indian physicist and educator, known for his contributions to the field of semiconductor physics and his role in establishing several scientific institutions in India.
While the BAJAJ surname has its roots in India's mercantile and business communities, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions across various fields, leaving an indelible mark on the country's history and cultural landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bajaj
Among Census respondents with the surname Bajaj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bajaj 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 Bajaj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.4% · 1,796
- White4.0% · 79
- Two or more races3.3% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 29
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bajaj
Bajaj 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
#19,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,379
+541 bearers (+64.6%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 7,583 places
2020
#14,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,986
+607 bearers (+44.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,150 | 838 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,567 | 1,379 | 0.47 | +541 bearers (+64.6%) | Up 7,583 places |
| 2020 | #14,454 | 1,986 | 0.66 | +607 bearers (+44.0%) | Up 5,113 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 Bajaj 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 | #19,567 | #14,454 | 26.1% |
| Count | 1,379 | 1,986 | 44.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.66 | 41.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bajaj bearers went from 1,379 to 1,986 (+44.0% change). The surname moved up 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,567 to #14,454.
FAQ
Bajaj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bajaj?
Name Census estimates that about 2,277 living Americans carry the surname Bajaj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,529 residents.
How common is Bajaj?
Bajaj ranks #14,454 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,986 people with the surname Bajaj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,277), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Bajaj.
Has Bajaj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bajaj went from 1,379 recorded bearers to 1,986. That is an increase of 607 (+44.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,567 to #14,454.
What does the Census say about the background of Bajaj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bajaj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Bajaj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,796 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bajaj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.4%), White (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Bajaj (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 Bajaj mean?
An Indian surname derived from the word for a trader or grocer. 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 Bajaj (0.66 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 Bajaj?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.