2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bashista
A surname of South Asian origin meaning "resident" or "resident of a place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Bashista. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bashista 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bashista in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bashista, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bashista
The surname BASHISTA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of modern-day Bangladesh and West Bengal. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th century and is derived from the Bengali word "bashishtha," which means "the most excellent" or "the most prominent."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BASHISTA surname can be found in the historical texts of the Mughal Empire, where it was mentioned in reference to a prominent family of scholars and intellectuals. It is said that this family played a significant role in the cultural and educational development of the region during that time.
In the 17th century, the BASHISTA surname was associated with a group of skilled artisans and craftsmen who were renowned for their intricate wood carvings and architectural designs. Their work can still be seen in various historical monuments and buildings across Bangladesh and West Bengal.
During the 18th century, the BASHISTA surname gained further recognition when Ramesh BASHISTA, a renowned poet and playwright, rose to fame. His literary works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary, are still widely studied and appreciated today. Ramesh BASHISTA was born in 1738 and passed away in 1812.
In the 19th century, the BASHISTA surname was associated with the freedom struggle against British colonial rule in India. Sarojini BASHISTA, a prominent activist and leader of the Indian independence movement, was born in 1879. She dedicated her life to fighting for women's rights and advocating for India's self-governance.
Another notable figure with the BASHISTA surname was Rajesh BASHISTA, a celebrated mathematician and astronomer who lived during the early 20th century. Born in 1892, Rajesh BASHISTA made significant contributions to the fields of calculus and celestial mechanics, and his works are still widely referenced by scholars and academics today.
While the BASHISTA surname has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since been carried across the globe by individuals and families who have migrated to various parts of the world. Today, the name can be found in diverse communities, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bashista
Among Census respondents with the surname Bashista, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bashista 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 Bashista surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 99
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bashista
Bashista 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,437 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,437 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 4,386 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 Bashista 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 | #147,253 | #151,639 | -3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 107 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bashista bearers went from 112 to 107 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 4,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #151,639.
FAQ
Bashista surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bashista?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Bashista. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Bashista?
Bashista ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Bashista. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bashista.
Has Bashista become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bashista went from 112 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Bashista?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bashista, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bashista in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bashista appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Bashista (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 Bashista mean?
A surname of South Asian origin meaning "resident" or "resident of a place". 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 Bashista (0.04 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 last name Bashista?
Want to know how many people are called Bashista? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.