2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bhajan
A Hindu surname derived from the word "Bhajan" meaning devotional song or hymn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Bhajan. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhajan 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Bhajan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhajan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 36.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.7%) and Two or More Races (13.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhajan
The surname Bhajan originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of the Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. It is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit language, with the word "bhajan" meaning devotional songs or hymns. This suggests that the name may have been associated with families or communities involved in religious practices or the arts of music and singing.
During the medieval period, references to individuals with the surname Bhajan can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the mention of a poet and musician named Ravi Das Bhajan, who lived in the 15th century and was renowned for his spiritual compositions.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bhajan can be traced back to the 16th century, with mentions in local administrative records and land ownership documents from the regions of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Some variations in the spelling of the name, such as "Bhajjan" or "Bhajun," were also found in these records.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Bhajan. One prominent figure was Hazari Prasad Bhajan (1871-1942), a renowned Indian writer and scholar who made significant contributions to Hindi literature. Another notable bearer of the name was Sardar Khushal Singh Bhajan (1897-1970), a prominent politician and lawyer who served as a minister in the Patiala and East Punjab States Union.
In the field of music, Pandit Ravi Shankar Bhajan (1920-2012) was a celebrated Indian sitarist and composer who popularized Indian classical music on a global scale. He was a prominent figure in the cultural renaissance of the 20th century and received numerous accolades, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor.
Another individual of note was Raja Dina Nath Bhajan (1888-1963), a philanthropist and industrialist from Punjab who played a significant role in the development of the city of Jalandhar and its educational institutions.
While the surname Bhajan is not as widespread as some other Indian surnames, it has a rich cultural and historical significance, reflecting its connections to the realms of music, spirituality, and literary arts in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhajan
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhajan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 36.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.7%) and Two or More Races (13.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhajan 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 Bhajan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American36.0% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander29.7% · 33
- Two or more races13.5% · 15
- White12.6% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhajan
Bhajan 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
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 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 Bhajan 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 | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhajan bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Bhajan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhajan?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Bhajan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Bhajan?
Bhajan ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Bhajan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Bhajan.
Has Bhajan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhajan went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhajan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhajan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 36.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.7%) and Two or More Races (13.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bhajan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 36.0% (40 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhajan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (36.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (29.7%), Two or More Races (13.5%). 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 Bhajan (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 Bhajan mean?
A Hindu surname derived from the word "Bhajan" meaning devotional song or hymn. 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 Bhajan (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 share the surname Bhajan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.