2000
#33,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 633
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Bakshi
A surname of South Asian origin meaning a scholar or learned person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,493 Americans carry the last name Bakshi. That puts it at #20,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 229,574 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bakshi 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 Bakshi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.5K
1 in 229,574
Census rank
#20,612
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,302 bearers of the surname Bakshi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakshi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bakshi
The surname BAKSHI is of Punjabi origin, and its roots can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Persian word "Bakhshi," which refers to a paymaster or a person responsible for disbursing salaries and managing finances.
It is believed that the BAKSHI surname first emerged among members of the Khatri caste, who traditionally held positions as merchants, traders, and accountants. This occupation likely led to the adoption of the name, as the Bakhshi role was closely associated with financial management and record-keeping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BAKSHI surname can be found in the Mughal Empire's administrative records from the 16th and 17th centuries. During this period, several individuals with the BAKSHI surname held prominent positions as paymasters and financial advisors to the Mughal rulers.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the BAKSHI surname gained prominence in the Punjab region, particularly among the Sikh community. Notable individuals with this surname include Bhai Bakhtawar Singh Bakshi (1719-1770), a prominent Sikh warrior and military leader who played a crucial role in the Sikh resistance against the Afghan invaders.
Another influential figure was Bakshi Har Govind Singh (1870-1947), a renowned Sikh scholar and theologian who served as the Jathedar (head priest) of the Akal Takht, the temporal seat of the Sikh religion.
In the 20th century, the BAKSHI surname gained wider recognition with individuals like Kapoor Singh Bakshi (1915-1988), an Indian politician and diplomat who served as the Governor of several Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The name also gained international recognition through the acclaimed filmmaker Vijay Anand Bakshi, better known as Vijay Anand (1934-1992), who directed iconic Bollywood films such as "Guide" and "Jewel Thief."
It is worth noting that the BAKSHI surname has also been spelled in various ways, such as Bakhshi, Bakshi, and Bakshee, reflecting regional and linguistic variations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bakshi
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakshi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bakshi 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 Bakshi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.3% · 1,136
- White8.2% · 107
- Two or more races3.5% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 6
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bakshi
Bakshi 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
#24,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,010
+377 bearers (+59.6%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 9,231 places
2020
#20,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,302
+292 bearers (+28.9%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 4,090 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,933 | 633 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,702 | 1,010 | 0.34 | +377 bearers (+59.6%) | Up 9,231 places |
| 2020 | #20,612 | 1,302 | 0.44 | +292 bearers (+28.9%) | Up 4,090 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 Bakshi 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 | #24,702 | #20,612 | 16.6% |
| Count | 1,010 | 1,302 | 28.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.44 | 28.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bakshi bearers went from 1,010 to 1,302 (+28.9% change). The surname moved up 4,090 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,702 to #20,612.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bakshi
FAQ
Bakshi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bakshi?
Name Census estimates that about 1,493 living Americans carry the surname Bakshi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 229,574 residents.
How common is Bakshi?
Bakshi ranks #20,612 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.44 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 1,302 people with the surname Bakshi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.44 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 Bakshi.
Has Bakshi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bakshi went from 1,010 recorded bearers to 1,302. That is an increase of 292 (+28.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #24,702 to #20,612.
What does the Census say about the background of Bakshi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bakshi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.3%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Bakshi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (1,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bakshi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.3%), White (8.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Bakshi (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 Bakshi mean?
A surname of South Asian origin meaning a scholar or learned person. 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 Bakshi (0.44 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 Bakshi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.