2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bhave
A Hindu surname indicating a secular religious scholar or teacher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 367 Americans carry the last name Bhave. That puts it at #66,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 933,936 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhave 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
367
1 in 933,936
Census rank
#66,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
320
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 320 bearers of the surname Bhave in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 66670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhave, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhave
The surname BHAVE has its origins in India, specifically in the western state of Maharashtra. It can be traced back to the 16th century, with the earliest known records of the name appearing in local village records and land ownership documents from that time period.
The name BHAVE is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhava," which means "existence" or "being." It is believed to have been adopted as a surname by Brahmin families who were involved in religious and spiritual pursuits, as the word "bhava" carries spiritual connotations in Hindu philosophy.
One of the earliest known references to the BHAVE surname can be found in the historical records of the Peshwa dynasty, which ruled the Maratha Empire from the 17th to the early 19th century. Several Brahmin families with the BHAVE surname held important positions in the Peshwa administration and were influential in shaping the political and cultural landscape of the region.
In the late 18th century, a prominent figure named Vinayak Hari BHAVE (1726-1801) played a significant role in the Maratha resistance against the British East India Company. He was a military commander and advisor to the Peshwa rulers, and his efforts contributed to the preservation of Maratha autonomy during a turbulent period of British expansion.
Another notable individual with the BHAVE surname was Vinoba BHAVE (1895-1982), a spiritual leader and social reformer who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement. He was a close disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and led the Bhoodan (Land Gift) movement, which aimed to redistribute land to the landless poor through voluntary donation.
In the realm of literature, Sripad Narayan BHAVE (1879-1966) was a prominent Marathi writer and playwright who made significant contributions to the development of modern Marathi literature. His works explored themes of social justice, human values, and the experiences of the common people.
Other notable figures with the BHAVE surname include Vishwanath Kashinath BHAVE (1839-1916), a renowned scholar and educator who played a key role in the establishment of the Fergusson College in Pune, and Gangadhar Sumant BHAVE (1903-1986), a renowned Marathi writer and journalist who served as the editor of the influential Marathi newspaper, Kesari.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhave
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhave, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhave 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 Bhave surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.9% · 294
- Two or more races4.1% · 13
- White2.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhave
Bhave 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
#89,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
+102 bearers (+97.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 55,505 places
2020
#66,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
+113 bearers (+54.6%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 22,733 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,403 | 207 | 0.07 | +102 bearers (+97.1%) | Up 55,505 places |
| 2020 | #66,670 | 320 | 0.11 | +113 bearers (+54.6%) | Up 22,733 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 Bhave 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 | #89,403 | #66,670 | 25.4% |
| Count | 207 | 320 | 54.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.11 | 52.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhave bearers went from 207 to 320 (+54.6% change). The surname moved up 22,733 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,403 to #66,670.
FAQ
Bhave surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhave?
Name Census estimates that about 367 living Americans carry the surname Bhave. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 933,936 residents.
How common is Bhave?
Bhave ranks #66,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 320 people with the surname Bhave. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (367), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Bhave.
Has Bhave become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhave went from 207 recorded bearers to 320. That is an increase of 113 (+54.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,403 to #66,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhave?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhave, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and White (2.8%). 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 Bhave in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (294 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhave appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.9%), Two or More Races (4.1%), White (2.8%). 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 Bhave (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 Bhave mean?
A Hindu surname indicating a secular religious scholar or teacher. 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 Bhave (0.11 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 Bhave?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.