2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Behary
A surname likely derived from the Sanskrit "Behara" meaning trader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Behary. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Behary 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Behary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Behary, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Behary
The surname BEHARY is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the northern region of the country. Its roots can be traced back to the 16th or 17th century, and it is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Bihara," which means "monastery" or "dwelling place for Buddhist monks." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who lived or worked in such establishments.
One of the earliest known references to the BEHARY surname can be found in a collection of ancient Hindu texts called the Puranas, which date back to the 4th or 5th century CE. These texts mention individuals with the name BEHARY, indicating that the surname has a long and rich history in the Indian subcontinent.
During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over large parts of India from the 16th to the 19th century, the BEHARY surname was prominent among certain communities and social groups. Records from this period reveal individuals with this name holding positions of importance, such as scholars, merchants, and administrators.
In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the BEHARY surname was Shri Govind BEHARY, a revered Hindu spiritual leader and philosopher. He was born in 1723 and is renowned for his contributions to the Bhakti movement, a devotional tradition within Hinduism.
Another significant individual was Pandit Shyam Sundar BEHARY, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and linguist who lived in the 19th century. Born in 1824, he was widely respected for his extensive knowledge of ancient Indian texts and his efforts in preserving and promoting the study of Sanskrit literature.
During the British colonial era in India, the BEHARY surname gained recognition among the educated and influential classes. One such individual was Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy BEHARY, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who was born in 1783. He made significant contributions to the city of Mumbai (then known as Bombay) through his philanthropic endeavors and was knighted by the British Crown for his services.
While the BEHARY surname has its roots in India, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origin and significance of this surname within the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Behary
Among Census respondents with the surname Behary, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Behary 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 Behary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 89
- Black or African American5.0% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.0% · 3
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Behary
Behary 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,523 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,818 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 15,523 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 4,818 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 Behary 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 | #150,452 | #155,270 | -3.2% |
| Count | 109 | 101 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Behary bearers went from 109 to 101 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 4,818 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #155,270.
FAQ
Behary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Behary?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Behary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Behary?
Behary ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Behary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Behary.
Has Behary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Behary went from 109 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Behary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Behary, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Behary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Behary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (5.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.0%). 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 Behary (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 Behary mean?
A surname likely derived from the Sanskrit "Behara" meaning trader. 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 Behary (0.03 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 common is the surname Behary?
If you just want to know how many people are called Behary, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.