2000
#19,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Baksh
An occupational surname for one who worked as a paymaster or accountant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,265 Americans carry the last name Baksh. That puts it at #14,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,326 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baksh 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 Baksh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,326
Census rank
#14,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,975 bearers of the surname Baksh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baksh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and White (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baksh
The surname BAKSH has its origins in South Asia, particularly in the Indian subcontinent, and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Persian word "bakhsh," which means "giver" or "bestower." This name was likely given to individuals who were known for their generosity or charitable acts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BAKSH can be found in the Mughal Empire's administrative records. During the reign of Akbar, the third Mughal emperor, a nobleman named Mir Baksh served as a high-ranking official in the court. This suggests that the name was already in use among the elite classes of society during the 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name BAKSH appears in various historical documents and manuscripts, including land records and tax registers. For example, a village named Bakhshpur was mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari, a comprehensive account of the Mughal administration written during the reign of Akbar.
One notable figure with the surname BAKSH was Shah Baksh Khan, a prominent military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the late 17th century. He played a crucial role in several military campaigns and was known for his bravery and strategic skills.
Another individual of historical significance was Baksh Ali Khan, a poet and courtier who lived during the 18th century. He was a patron of the arts and literature and is credited with promoting the development of Urdu poetry during his time.
In the 19th century, the name BAKSH continued to be prevalent among various communities in South Asia. One notable example is Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Bahadur BAKSH, a renowned Muslim philosopher, educator, and reformer who played a pivotal role in the intellectual and social awakening of the Indian subcontinent.
The surname BAKSH can also be found in various place names across the region, such as Bakhshiwala, a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan, and Bakhshi ka Talab, a historical pond located in Lucknow, India. These place names likely originated from individuals or families with the surname BAKSH who had significant influence or ownership in those areas.
Over the centuries, the name BAKSH has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, poets, warriors, and administrators, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of this surname in South Asia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baksh
Among Census respondents with the surname Baksh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and White (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Baksh 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 Baksh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander47.9% · 946
- Black or African American23.6% · 466
- White10.2% · 201
- Two or more races10.0% · 198
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 105
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.0% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baksh
Baksh 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
#16,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,791
+477 bearers (+36.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 2,986 places
2020
#14,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,975
+184 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 1,636 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,136 | 1,314 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,150 | 1,791 | 0.61 | +477 bearers (+36.3%) | Up 2,986 places |
| 2020 | #14,514 | 1,975 | 0.66 | +184 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,636 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 Baksh 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 | #16,150 | #14,514 | 10.1% |
| Count | 1,791 | 1,975 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 0.66 | 8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baksh bearers went from 1,791 to 1,975 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 1,636 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,150 to #14,514.
FAQ
Baksh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baksh?
Name Census estimates that about 2,265 living Americans carry the surname Baksh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,326 residents.
How common is Baksh?
Baksh ranks #14,514 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 1,975 people with the surname Baksh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,265), 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 Baksh.
Has Baksh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baksh went from 1,791 recorded bearers to 1,975. That is an increase of 184 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,150 to #14,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Baksh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baksh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 47.9%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and White (10.2%). 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 Baksh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.9% (946 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baksh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (47.9%), Black (23.6%), White (10.2%). 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 Baksh (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 Baksh mean?
An occupational surname for one who worked as a paymaster or accountant. 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 Baksh (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 common is the surname Baksh?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Baksh at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.