2000
#79,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Rare Last name
Bharadwaj
A Brahmin surname associated with the ancient Indian sage Bharadwaja.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,352 Americans carry the last name Bharadwaj. That puts it at #22,378 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 253,517 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bharadwaj 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
1.4K
1 in 253,517
Census rank
#22,378
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,179 bearers of the surname Bharadwaj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22378th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bharadwaj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bharadwaj
The surname Bharadwaj has its origins in India, tracing back to ancient times. It is a Sanskrit name, derived from the words "bhara" meaning burden and "dvij" meaning twice-born. The Bharadwajas were one of the most prominent Brahmin gotras or lineages, believed to have descended from the revered sage Bharadwaja.
This name finds mention in several ancient Hindu scriptures, including the Rigveda and the Mahabharata. The sage Bharadwaja is described as a powerful rishi who composed several hymns and played a significant role in shaping Vedic literature and tradition.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bharadwaj can be found in ancient inscriptions and historical records dating back to the Gupta Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE. During this period, the Bharadwajas were highly respected for their scholarly pursuits and religious teachings.
Notable individuals with the surname Bharadwaj include Madhava Bharadwaja, a renowned mathematician and astronomer from the 7th century CE, who made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry. Another prominent figure was Vidyaranya Bharadwaj, a 14th-century philosopher and spiritual leader who played a crucial role in the Vijayanagara Empire.
In the realm of literature, Narayana Bharadwaj, a 16th-century poet and scholar, gained recognition for his works in Sanskrit and Prakrit languages. The 17th century saw the rise of Haribhadra Bharadwaj, a revered scholar and author who wrote extensively on Jain philosophy and literature.
Tracing the lineage further, the 19th century witnessed the birth of Ramakrishna Bharadwaj, a renowned social reformer and educator who dedicated his life to promoting education and uplifting marginalized communities in India.
Throughout history, the surname Bharadwaj has been associated with scholarly pursuits, religious teachings, and intellectual achievements, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bharadwaj
Among Census respondents with the surname Bharadwaj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bharadwaj 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 Bharadwaj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.7% · 1,128
- White2.0% · 24
- Two or more races0.8% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bharadwaj
Bharadwaj 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
#37,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 601
+380 bearers (+171.9%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 42,833 places
2020
#22,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,179
+578 bearers (+96.2%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 14,747 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #79,958 | 221 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #37,125 | 601 | 0.20 | +380 bearers (+171.9%) | Up 42,833 places |
| 2020 | #22,378 | 1,179 | 0.39 | +578 bearers (+96.2%) | Up 14,747 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 Bharadwaj 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 | #37,125 | #22,378 | 39.7% |
| Count | 601 | 1,179 | 96.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.20 | 0.39 | 97.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bharadwaj bearers went from 601 to 1,179 (+96.2% change). The surname moved up 14,747 positions in the national ranking, going from #37,125 to #22,378.
FAQ
Bharadwaj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bharadwaj?
Name Census estimates that about 1,352 living Americans carry the surname Bharadwaj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 253,517 residents.
How common is Bharadwaj?
Bharadwaj ranks #22,378 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,179 people with the surname Bharadwaj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,352), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Bharadwaj.
Has Bharadwaj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bharadwaj went from 601 recorded bearers to 1,179. That is an increase of 578 (+96.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #37,125 to #22,378.
What does the Census say about the background of Bharadwaj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bharadwaj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Bharadwaj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (1,128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bharadwaj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.7%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Bharadwaj (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 Bharadwaj mean?
A Brahmin surname associated with the ancient Indian sage Bharadwaja. 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 Bharadwaj (0.39 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 Bharadwaj?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.