2000
#102,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bhandal
Derived from Sanskrit, referring to a person involved in storing or distributing grains.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 472 Americans carry the last name Bhandal. That puts it at #54,078 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 726,174 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhandal 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bhandal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
472
1 in 726,174
Census rank
#54,078
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
412
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 412 bearers of the surname Bhandal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54078th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhandal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and White (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhandal
The surname BHANDAL has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Punjab region of northern India and eastern Pakistan. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhandaka," which means a storekeeper or a treasurer. The name is associated with the Khatri and Arora communities, who were historically involved in trade, commerce, and banking.
The earliest recorded instances of the BHANDAL surname can be traced back to the 16th century during the Mughal era in South Asia. Some historical records suggest that the name was mentioned in various manuscripts and documents related to trade and finance during that period. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact origins of the name due to the lack of comprehensive historical records from that time.
One notable figure with the BHANDAL surname was Lala Bhandari Das Bhandal, a wealthy merchant and financier who lived in the 18th century in the city of Amritsar, Punjab. He is known for his philanthropic contributions, including the construction of a famous gurdwara (Sikh temple) in Amritsar.
In the 19th century, the BHANDAL surname gained prominence in the region of Punjab. Dewan Bhandari Lal Bhandal, a prominent businessman and landowner from Lahore (now in Pakistan), was actively involved in the political affairs of the Sikh Empire during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Another notable individual with the BHANDAL surname was Karam Chand Bhandal, a lawyer and political leader from Punjab who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century. He was born in 1884 and served as a member of the Punjab Legislative Council.
During the partition of India in 1947, many BHANDAL families migrated from the western parts of Punjab (now in Pakistan) to the eastern regions of Punjab and other parts of India. This led to the dispersal of the community across various parts of the country.
Over the centuries, the BHANDAL surname has been associated with various professions, including business, finance, law, and politics, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals carrying this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhandal
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhandal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and White (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhandal 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 Bhandal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 393
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 8
- White1.2% · 5
- Two or more races0.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhandal
Bhandal 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
#63,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 314
+152 bearers (+93.8%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 39,167 places
2020
#54,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 412
+98 bearers (+31.2%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 9,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #102,691 | 162 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #63,524 | 314 | 0.11 | +152 bearers (+93.8%) | Up 39,167 places |
| 2020 | #54,078 | 412 | 0.14 | +98 bearers (+31.2%) | Up 9,446 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 Bhandal 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 | #63,524 | #54,078 | 14.9% |
| Count | 314 | 412 | 31.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.14 | 25.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhandal bearers went from 314 to 412 (+31.2% change). The surname moved up 9,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #63,524 to #54,078.
FAQ
Bhandal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhandal?
Name Census estimates that about 472 living Americans carry the surname Bhandal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 726,174 residents.
How common is Bhandal?
Bhandal ranks #54,078 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 412 people with the surname Bhandal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (472), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Bhandal.
Has Bhandal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhandal went from 314 recorded bearers to 412. That is an increase of 98 (+31.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #63,524 to #54,078.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhandal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhandal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and White (1.2%). 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 Bhandal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (393 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhandal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), Hispanic (1.9%), White (1.2%). 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 Bhandal (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 Bhandal mean?
Derived from Sanskrit, referring to a person involved in storing or distributing grains. 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 Bhandal (0.14 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 Bhandal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.