2000
#17,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,482
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Banerjee
A surname of Bengali origin referring to people from the Banerjee caste, traditionally associated with banking and finance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,064 Americans carry the last name Banerjee. That puts it at #7,277 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banerjee 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 Banerjee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,685
Census rank
#7,277
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,416 bearers of the surname Banerjee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7277th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banerjee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banerjee
The surname Banerjee has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Bengal region of present-day Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Vanik" meaning merchant or trader, and "Jati" meaning community or caste.
Banerjee is a common surname among the Bengali Hindu community, particularly among the Baidya caste, which was traditionally involved in trading and commerce. The name first appeared in historical records during the medieval period, around the 12th century CE, when the Baidya community rose to prominence in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Banerjee can be found in the Devi Bhagavata Purana, an ancient Hindu scripture. The text mentions a sage named Banerjee who was revered for his wisdom and knowledge.
In the 16th century, during the Mughal era, a prominent figure named Rajnarayan Banerjee served as the chief minister to the Sultan of Bengal, Alauddin Husain Shah. Rajnarayan Banerjee was instrumental in establishing the Baidya community's influence in the region's administrative and economic affairs.
Another notable person with the surname Banerjee was Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (1820-1891), a renowned Bengali scholar, writer, and social reformer. He played a crucial role in promoting education and advocating for the rights of women in 19th-century Bengal.
In the field of literature, Jyotirindranath Banerjee (1863-1930) was a distinguished Bengali poet and playwright. His works, which included plays like "Muktir Upay" and "Neelanjana," explored themes of social reform and women's empowerment.
Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945), a prominent figure in India's struggle for independence, also bore the surname Banerjee. He was the leader of the Indian National Army and played a pivotal role in the freedom movement against British colonial rule.
Satyajit Ray (1921-1992), the renowned Bengali filmmaker, was born Satyajit Banerjee. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs in the history of world cinema, acclaimed for his films like "Pather Panchali," "Charulata," and "Apur Sansar."
The surname Banerjee has a rich history and has been associated with influential individuals across various fields, from politics and literature to social reform and the arts, particularly in the Bengal region and the broader Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banerjee
Among Census respondents with the surname Banerjee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Banerjee 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 Banerjee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.9% · 3,971
- White4.3% · 189
- Two or more races4.2% · 186
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 41
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banerjee
Banerjee 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
#11,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,723
+1,241 bearers (+83.7%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 5,978 places
2020
#7,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,416
+1,693 bearers (+62.2%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Up 4,266 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,521 | 1,482 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,543 | 2,723 | 0.92 | +1,241 bearers (+83.7%) | Up 5,978 places |
| 2020 | #7,277 | 4,416 | 1.48 | +1,693 bearers (+62.2%) | Up 4,266 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 Banerjee 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 | #11,543 | #7,277 | 37.0% |
| Count | 2,723 | 4,416 | 62.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.92 | 1.48 | 60.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banerjee bearers went from 2,723 to 4,416 (+62.2% change). The surname moved up 4,266 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,543 to #7,277.
FAQ
Banerjee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banerjee?
Name Census estimates that about 5,064 living Americans carry the surname Banerjee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,685 residents.
How common is Banerjee?
Banerjee ranks #7,277 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,416 people with the surname Banerjee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,064), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Banerjee.
Has Banerjee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banerjee went from 2,723 recorded bearers to 4,416. That is an increase of 1,693 (+62.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,543 to #7,277.
What does the Census say about the background of Banerjee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banerjee, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Banerjee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (3,971 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banerjee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.9%), White (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Banerjee (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 Banerjee mean?
A surname of Bengali origin referring to people from the Banerjee caste, traditionally associated with banking and finance. 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 Banerjee (1.48 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 have the surname Banerjee?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.