2000
#31,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 702
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Bhatnagar
A Hindu surname used by members of a merchant caste engaged in grain trading.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,221 Americans carry the last name Bhatnagar. That puts it at #14,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,324 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhatnagar 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 Bhatnagar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 154,324
Census rank
#14,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,937 bearers of the surname Bhatnagar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhatnagar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhatnagar
The surname Bhatnagar originates from India, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged around the 12th or 13th century during the medieval era. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhatt," which means a learned Brahmin or scholar, and "Nagar," meaning town or city.
The Bhatnagar surname has strong ties to the Brahmin community, the highest caste in the traditional Hindu social hierarchy. It was likely given to individuals or families who were respected scholars, teachers, or intellectuals residing in towns or cities. The name indicates a connection to urban centers of learning and culture.
One of the earliest known references to the Bhatnagar surname can be found in the records of the Mughal Empire, which ruled over significant parts of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century. These records often listed individuals by their caste, occupation, and place of residence, providing valuable insights into the history of names like Bhatnagar.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Lakshmidhar Bhatnagar was a well-known Sanskrit scholar and poet who authored several works on Hindu philosophy and mythology. His writings are still studied and revered by scholars today.
Another notable individual was Munshi Bhagwandas Bhatnagar, who lived in the late 18th and early 19th century. He was a renowned writer and lexicographer, known for his contributions to the Hindi language and literature. His works included dictionaries and translations of Sanskrit texts into Hindi.
In the 19th century, Pandit Kanhaiya Lal Bhatnagar was a respected scholar and educationist who played a significant role in promoting modern education in India. He established several schools and educational institutions, contributing to the spread of knowledge and literacy.
During the Indian independence movement of the early 20th century, Rajendra Prasad Bhatnagar was a prominent freedom fighter and political activist. He was involved in various protests and campaigns against British colonial rule and played a crucial role in the struggle for India's independence.
In more recent times, Rajendra Singh Bhatnagar was a distinguished scientist and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of aeronautics. He was the chief designer of India's first indigenous fighter aircraft, the HAL HF-24 Marut, which was a remarkable achievement in the country's aerospace industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhatnagar
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhatnagar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhatnagar 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 Bhatnagar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.0% · 1,782
- White4.5% · 87
- Two or more races2.6% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhatnagar
Bhatnagar 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
#20,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,293
+591 bearers (+84.2%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 10,723 places
2020
#14,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,937
+644 bearers (+49.8%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 5,795 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,235 | 702 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,512 | 1,293 | 0.44 | +591 bearers (+84.2%) | Up 10,723 places |
| 2020 | #14,717 | 1,937 | 0.65 | +644 bearers (+49.8%) | Up 5,795 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 Bhatnagar 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 | #20,512 | #14,717 | 28.3% |
| Count | 1,293 | 1,937 | 49.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.65 | 47.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhatnagar bearers went from 1,293 to 1,937 (+49.8% change). The surname moved up 5,795 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,512 to #14,717.
FAQ
Bhatnagar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhatnagar?
Name Census estimates that about 2,221 living Americans carry the surname Bhatnagar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,324 residents.
How common is Bhatnagar?
Bhatnagar ranks #14,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,937 people with the surname Bhatnagar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bhatnagar.
Has Bhatnagar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhatnagar went from 1,293 recorded bearers to 1,937. That is an increase of 644 (+49.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,512 to #14,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhatnagar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhatnagar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bhatnagar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (1,782 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhatnagar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.0%), White (4.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bhatnagar (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 Bhatnagar mean?
A Hindu surname used by members of a merchant caste engaged in grain trading. 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 Bhatnagar (0.65 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 have the surname Bhatnagar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.