2010
#108,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bhandarkar
A surname originating from the Marathi word 'bhandara' referring to a treasurer or storekeeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 290 Americans carry the last name Bhandarkar. That puts it at #80,815 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,181,912 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhandarkar 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
290
1 in 1,181,912
Census rank
#80,815
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
253
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 253 bearers of the surname Bhandarkar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80815th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhandarkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhandarkar
The surname Bhandarkar is of Indian origin, tracing its roots back to the western Indian state of Maharashtra. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhandara', which means 'treasury' or 'storehouse'. It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who worked as treasurers or accountants, responsible for managing finances and wealth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bhandarkar surname dates back to the 17th century, where it appeared in various historical manuscripts and records from the Maratha Empire. During this period, the Bhandarkars held prominent positions as financial advisors and administrators within the royal court.
In the 18th century, the Bhandarkar family gained significant recognition with the birth of Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar (1837-1925), a pioneering Indologist and scholar of Sanskrit literature. He made invaluable contributions to the study of ancient Indian history, culture, and religion through his extensive research and publications.
Another notable figure with the Bhandarkar surname is Devadatta Ramakrishna Bhandarkar (1875-1950), a distinguished historian and archaeologist. He served as the Director of the Archaeological Survey of India and played a crucial role in preserving and documenting India's rich cultural heritage.
The name Bhandarkar is also associated with the town of Bhandara, located in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It is believed that the surname may have originated from this place name, which itself is derived from the word 'bhandara', referring to a storehouse or treasury.
In the field of literature, Vasudeva Shastri Bhandarkar (1925-2009) was a prominent Marathi writer and scholar. He contributed significantly to the Marathi literary canon with his novels, short stories, and literary criticism.
Another individual of note is Sukthankar Vishnu Bhandarkar (1877-1943), a renowned scholar of Sanskrit and Prakrit languages. He is best known for his critical edition of the Mahabharata, a monumental work that took over three decades to complete.
While the Bhandarkar surname is primarily found in the western and central regions of India, individuals bearing this name have made their mark across various fields, including academia, literature, and public service, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of the subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhandarkar
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhandarkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhandarkar 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 Bhandarkar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.1% · 233
- White3.6% · 9
- Two or more races3.6% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhandarkar
Bhandarkar 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
#80,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 253
+89 bearers (+54.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 27,384 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #108,199 | 164 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #80,815 | 253 | 0.08 | +89 bearers (+54.3%) | Up 27,384 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 Bhandarkar 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 | #108,199 | #80,815 | 25.3% |
| Count | 164 | 253 | 54.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.08 | 41.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhandarkar bearers went from 164 to 253 (+54.3% change). The surname moved up 27,384 positions in the national ranking, going from #108,199 to #80,815.
FAQ
Bhandarkar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhandarkar?
Name Census estimates that about 290 living Americans carry the surname Bhandarkar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,181,912 residents.
How common is Bhandarkar?
Bhandarkar ranks #80,815 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 253 people with the surname Bhandarkar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (290), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Bhandarkar.
Has Bhandarkar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhandarkar went from 164 recorded bearers to 253. That is an increase of 89 (+54.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #108,199 to #80,815.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhandarkar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhandarkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Bhandarkar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (233 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhandarkar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.1%), White (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Bhandarkar (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 Bhandarkar mean?
A surname originating from the Marathi word 'bhandara' referring to a treasurer or storekeeper. 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 Bhandarkar (0.08 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 Bhandarkar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.