2010
#61,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Bastola
A surname derived from the Nepalese word for 'walking stick' or 'stick holder'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 769 Americans carry the last name Bastola. That puts it at #35,964 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 445,714 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bastola 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
769
1 in 445,714
Census rank
#35,964
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
671
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 671 bearers of the surname Bastola in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35964th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastola, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bastola
The surname BASTOLA is believed to have originated in Nepal during the 16th century. It is derived from the Nepali word "bastola," which means "dwelling place" or "residence." The name is thought to have been given to individuals or families who lived in a particular area or village.
The earliest known records of the BASTOLA name can be found in ancient Nepali manuscripts and historical documents dating back to the late 16th century. These records often referred to individuals or families with the BASTOLA surname living in various regions of Nepal, such as the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding hill areas.
One notable historical figure with the BASTOLA surname was Bhupal Bastola (1660-1732), a Nepali poet and writer who is considered one of the pioneers of modern Nepali literature. His works, which included poems and plays, were influential in the development of the Nepali language and literary tradition.
Another prominent individual with the BASTOLA surname was Jagat Bastola (1785-1868), a Nepali military leader and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Nepal in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in the country's political affairs during a turbulent period in Nepali history.
In the 19th century, the BASTOLA surname was also associated with several notable scholars and intellectuals, such as Shiva Prasad Bastola (1825-1890), a renowned linguist and grammarian who made significant contributions to the study of the Nepali language.
One of the earliest recorded place names associated with the BASTOLA surname is Bastola Tole, a traditional neighborhood in the historic city of Patan, located in the Kathmandu Valley. This area was likely named after a family or group of individuals with the BASTOLA surname who resided there.
Other notable individuals with the BASTOLA surname include Ganga Prasad Bastola (1910-1995), a prominent Nepali writer and poet, and Surya Prasad Bastola (1920-1998), a respected scholar and educator who made significant contributions to the field of Nepali literature and education.
It is important to note that while the BASTOLA surname has its origins in Nepal, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the majority of individuals bearing this surname can still trace their ancestral roots back to Nepal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bastola
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastola, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bastola 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 Bastola surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.1% · 645
- White1.6% · 11
- Two or more races1.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bastola
Bastola 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
#35,964
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 671
+343 bearers (+104.6%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 25,333 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #61,297 | 328 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #35,964 | 671 | 0.22 | +343 bearers (+104.6%) | Up 25,333 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 Bastola 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 | #61,297 | #35,964 | 41.3% |
| Count | 328 | 671 | 104.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.22 | 104.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bastola bearers went from 328 to 671 (+104.6% change). The surname moved up 25,333 positions in the national ranking, going from #61,297 to #35,964.
FAQ
Bastola surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bastola?
Name Census estimates that about 769 living Americans carry the surname Bastola. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 445,714 residents.
How common is Bastola?
Bastola ranks #35,964 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 671 people with the surname Bastola. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (769), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Bastola.
Has Bastola become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bastola went from 328 recorded bearers to 671. That is an increase of 343 (+104.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #61,297 to #35,964.
What does the Census say about the background of Bastola?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bastola, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Bastola in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (645 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bastola appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.1%), White (1.6%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Bastola (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 Bastola mean?
A surname derived from the Nepalese word for 'walking stick' or 'stick holder'. 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 Bastola (0.22 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 Bastola?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.