2010
#66,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 295
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Bajracharya
A surname referring to a vajra (lightning bolt) wielding monk or priest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 652 Americans carry the last name Bajracharya. That puts it at #41,249 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 525,697 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bajracharya 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
652
1 in 525,697
Census rank
#41,249
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
569
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 569 bearers of the surname Bajracharya in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41249th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bajracharya, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bajracharya
The surname Bajracharya originated in Nepal and is derived from the Sanskrit words 'Vajra' meaning thunder-bolt or diamond and 'Acharya' meaning teacher or master. It is a common surname among the Nepalese Newars, who are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley.
The name Bajracharya has its roots in the Buddhist tradition, where Vajracharyas were spiritual teachers and masters of Tantric Buddhism. The earliest recorded mention of the surname can be found in ancient manuscripts and inscriptions dating back to the 7th century AD, during the Licchavi period in Nepal.
One of the earliest known Bajracharyas was Narendradev Bajracharya, a renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher who lived in the 9th century AD. He is credited with establishing the Bajracharya lineage and establishing the tradition of Tantric Buddhism in Nepal.
Another notable figure in the Bajracharya lineage was Buddhabhadra Bajracharya, who lived in the 11th century AD and was a prominent Buddhist teacher and author. He wrote several important texts on Tantric Buddhism, which are still studied today.
In the 14th century, Jayabajra Bajracharya was a renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher who helped to revive and preserve the Tantric Buddhist tradition in Nepal. He is also known for his contributions to the development of Nepalese art and architecture.
During the Malla period in Nepal, the Bajracharya family played a significant role in the cultural and religious life of the Kathmandu Valley. One of the most notable figures from this period was Ratna Bajracharya, who lived in the 16th century and was a highly respected Buddhist teacher and scholar.
In more recent times, Dharma Ratna Bajracharya, who lived from 1857 to 1924, was a prominent Buddhist scholar and teacher who helped to preserve and promote the Tantric Buddhist tradition in Nepal. He was also a renowned artist and sculptor.
The Bajracharya surname continues to be associated with the Newar community in Nepal and is often associated with the practice of Tantric Buddhism. However, it is also found among other communities in Nepal and is a respected surname with a rich cultural and religious heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bajracharya
Among Census respondents with the surname Bajracharya, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bajracharya 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 Bajracharya surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.6% · 544
- White1.6% · 9
- Two or more races1.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bajracharya
Bajracharya 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
#41,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 569
+274 bearers (+92.9%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 25,682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #66,931 | 295 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #41,249 | 569 | 0.19 | +274 bearers (+92.9%) | Up 25,682 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 Bajracharya 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 | #66,931 | #41,249 | 38.4% |
| Count | 295 | 569 | 92.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.19 | 90.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bajracharya bearers went from 295 to 569 (+92.9% change). The surname moved up 25,682 positions in the national ranking, going from #66,931 to #41,249.
FAQ
Bajracharya surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bajracharya?
Name Census estimates that about 652 living Americans carry the surname Bajracharya. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 525,697 residents.
How common is Bajracharya?
Bajracharya ranks #41,249 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 569 people with the surname Bajracharya. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (652), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Bajracharya.
Has Bajracharya become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bajracharya went from 295 recorded bearers to 569. That is an increase of 274 (+92.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #66,931 to #41,249.
What does the Census say about the background of Bajracharya?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bajracharya, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Bajracharya in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (544 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bajracharya appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.6%), White (1.6%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Bajracharya (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 Bajracharya mean?
A surname referring to a vajra (lightning bolt) wielding monk or priest. 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 Bajracharya (0.19 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 Bajracharya?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.