2010
#121,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bhosale
A surname associated with certain communities in Maharashtra, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 471 Americans carry the last name Bhosale. That puts it at #54,177 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 727,716 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhosale 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
471
1 in 727,716
Census rank
#54,177
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
411
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 411 bearers of the surname Bhosale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 54177th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhosale, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Black (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhosale
The surname "BHOSALE" originated in India, specifically in the western state of Maharashtra. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 13th-14th centuries. The name is derived from the Marathi word "bhosla," which referred to a "person who trims leaves," likely alluding to an occupation or profession.
The Bhosale surname has strong historical ties to the Maratha Empire, a prominent Hindu kingdom that ruled a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Bakhars, a collection of historical records and chronicles written during the Maratha era.
In the 16th century, Maloji Bhosale, a powerful military leader and nobleman, played a crucial role in the early formation of the Maratha Empire. His descendants, including the renowned Shivaji Bhosale (1627-1680), established the Bhosale dynasty and laid the foundation for the Maratha kingdom's expansion.
Another notable figure with the Bhosale surname was Baji Rao I (1700-1740), a legendary Maratha general and statesman who served as the Peshwa (prime minister) of the Maratha Empire. His military campaigns and administrative reforms significantly strengthened the Maratha hold over vast territories across India.
During the 18th century, the Bhosale clan split into two main branches: the Bhosales of Thanjavur and the Bhosales of Satara. Both branches ruled over their respective principalities as feudatories of the Maratha Empire. Prominent rulers from these branches include Shahuji Bhosale (1684-1749) of Thanjavur and Shahu Bhosale (1682-1749) of Satara.
The Bhosale name has also been associated with various places and historical sites in Maharashtra. For instance, the town of Bhosaleswar and the Bhosale Wada (a fortified residence) in Satara district bear the surname's influence.
While the Bhosale surname has its roots in Maharashtra, it has since spread to other parts of India and the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance remains deeply intertwined with the Maratha Empire and the influential Bhosale dynasty that played a pivotal role in shaping the region's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhosale
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhosale, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Black (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhosale 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 Bhosale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.1% · 399
- White1.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 2
- Two or more races0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhosale
Bhosale 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
#54,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 411
+269 bearers (+189.4%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 67,413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #121,590 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #54,177 | 411 | 0.14 | +269 bearers (+189.4%) | Up 67,413 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 Bhosale 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 | #121,590 | #54,177 | 55.4% |
| Count | 142 | 411 | 189.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.14 | 175.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhosale bearers went from 142 to 411 (+189.4% change). The surname moved up 67,413 positions in the national ranking, going from #121,590 to #54,177.
FAQ
Bhosale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhosale?
Name Census estimates that about 471 living Americans carry the surname Bhosale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 727,716 residents.
How common is Bhosale?
Bhosale ranks #54,177 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 411 people with the surname Bhosale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Bhosale.
Has Bhosale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhosale went from 142 recorded bearers to 411. That is an increase of 269 (+189.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #121,590 to #54,177.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhosale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhosale, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Black (0.5%). 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 Bhosale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (399 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhosale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.1%), White (1.2%), Black (0.5%). 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 Bhosale (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 Bhosale mean?
A surname associated with certain communities in Maharashtra, India. 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 Bhosale (0.14 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 Bhosale?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.