2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bhanji
A surname derived from the Gujarati word 'bhanaj' meaning nephew or relative.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Bhanji. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhanji 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 Bhanji with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Bhanji in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhanji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhanji
The surname Bhanji originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Sindhi-speaking regions of present-day Pakistan and India. The name is derived from the Sindhi word "bhanja," which means nephew or son-in-law.
In the past, Sindhi families often bestowed this surname upon their nephews or sons-in-law as a way of welcoming them into the family and establishing a strong bond. It was a common practice among the Sindhi community, particularly in the regions of Sindh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
The earliest known recorded instances of the surname Bhanji can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various local records and documents. One notable example is the mention of a merchant named Lakhpat Bhanji in a trade register from the city of Thatta, which was a prominent port in Sindh during the Mughal Era.
Over the centuries, the Bhanji surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest recorded was Shri Hirji Bhanji, a wealthy trader and philanthropist who lived in the 18th century. He is known for founding the Shri Hirji Bhanji Charitable Trust, which continues to operate in Sindh to this day.
Another prominent figure was Sir Khawaja Ghulam Husain Bhanji, a renowned scholar and politician who was born in 1868 in Shikarpur, Sindh. He played a significant role in the independence movement of India and served as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council.
In the 20th century, Ardeshir Bhanji Vakil, born in 1906, was a prominent Indian jurist and legal scholar. He served as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and played a crucial role in shaping the Indian legal system.
Razia Bhanji, born in 1924, was a pioneering Pakistani artist known for her abstract paintings and her contributions to the modern art movement in Pakistan. Her works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries around the world.
Lastly, Shyam Bhanji, born in 1951, is a renowned Indian-American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the successful technology company Covad Communications and has been actively involved in various charitable initiatives, particularly in the field of education.
While the Bhanji surname has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Sindhi community.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhanji
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhanji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhanji 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 Bhanji surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.4% · 81
- Two or more races8.8% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- White3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhanji
Bhanji 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-9 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,408 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 6,408 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 Bhanji 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 | #148,347 | #154,755 | -4.3% |
| Count | 111 | 102 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhanji bearers went from 111 to 102 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 6,408 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,755.
FAQ
Bhanji surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhanji?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Bhanji. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Bhanji?
Bhanji ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Bhanji. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Bhanji.
Has Bhanji become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhanji went from 111 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhanji?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhanji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Bhanji in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhanji appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.4%), Two or More Races (8.8%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Bhanji (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 Bhanji mean?
A surname derived from the Gujarati word 'bhanaj' meaning nephew or relative. 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 Bhanji (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 many Americans have the surname Bhanji?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.