2010
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bawi
A surname of East African origin, possibly derived from the Arabic word "bawi" meaning lion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 845 Americans carry the last name Bawi. That puts it at #33,302 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 405,626 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bawi 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
845
1 in 405,626
Census rank
#33,302
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
737
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 737 bearers of the surname Bawi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33302nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bawi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bawi
The surname BAWI has its origins in India, specifically in the region of Punjab. It is believed to have first emerged during the 16th century. The name BAWI is derived from the Sanskrit word "bawri," which means "well" or "water source."
In ancient times, the BAWI surname was likely associated with individuals who lived near or maintained wells or water sources. These wells were vital for sustaining life and communities in the arid regions of Punjab.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BAWI surname can be found in the Mughal Empire's administrative records from the 17th century. During this period, a notable figure named Jagat Singh BAWI served as a prominent landowner and community leader in the village of Bhatinda.
Another historical reference to the BAWI name can be traced back to the 18th century, when a scholar named Gurdas BAWI wrote extensively on Sikh philosophy and literature. His works are still studied and revered within the Sikh community.
In the 19th century, a famous poet and writer named Bhai Vir Singh BAWI (1872-1957) gained widespread recognition for his literary contributions, which included poetry, novels, and translations of sacred Sikh texts.
During the Indian independence movement of the early 20th century, a freedom fighter named SardarKharak Singh BAWI (1885-1967) played an active role in the struggle against British colonial rule.
Another notable figure with the BAWI surname was Joginder Singh BAWI (1920-2005), a decorated military officer who served in the Indian Army during World War II and the Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971.
While the BAWI surname has its roots in Punjab, it has since spread to other parts of India and the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bawi
Among Census respondents with the surname Bawi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bawi 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 Bawi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.1% · 708
- White3.3% · 24
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- Two or more races0.3% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bawi
Bawi 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
#33,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 737
+599 bearers (+434.1%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 91,246 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #33,302 | 737 | 0.25 | +599 bearers (+434.1%) | Up 91,246 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 Bawi 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 | #124,548 | #33,302 | 73.3% |
| Count | 138 | 737 | 434.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.25 | 393.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bawi bearers went from 138 to 737 (+434.1% change). The surname moved up 91,246 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #33,302.
FAQ
Bawi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bawi?
Name Census estimates that about 845 living Americans carry the surname Bawi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 405,626 residents.
How common is Bawi?
Bawi ranks #33,302 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 737 people with the surname Bawi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (845), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Bawi.
Has Bawi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bawi went from 138 recorded bearers to 737. That is an increase of 599 (+434.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #124,548 to #33,302.
What does the Census say about the background of Bawi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bawi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Black (0.3%). 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 Bawi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (708 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bawi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.1%), White (3.3%), Black (0.3%). 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 Bawi (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 Bawi mean?
A surname of East African origin, possibly derived from the Arabic word "bawi" meaning lion. 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 Bawi (0.25 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 are called Bawi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Bawi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.