2010
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bijlani
A Rajput clan surname originating in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 202 Americans carry the last name Bijlani. That puts it at #107,521 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,696,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bijlani 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
202
1 in 1,696,804
Census rank
#107,521
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
176
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 176 bearers of the surname Bijlani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 107521st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bijlani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bijlani
The surname Bijlani originated from the Indian subcontinent, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a derivative of the Sanskrit word "Vijay," meaning victory or conquest. The suffix "ani" denotes a person or a group associated with a particular place or profession.
Historically, the name Bijlani was prevalent in the northern regions of India, particularly in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Some records suggest that the earliest bearers of this name were associated with trade and commerce, indicating their potential involvement in mercantile activities.
In ancient texts and manuscripts, mentions of individuals with the surname Bijlani can be found, although the specific details are often obscured by the passage of time. One notable reference is found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which lists various surnames and their occupational associations.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Bijlani can be traced back to the late 16th century, with a merchant named Raghunath Bijlani, who was involved in the spice trade between India and the Middle East. Another prominent figure was Ranjit Singh Bijlani, a military commander who served under the Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th century.
Throughout history, the surname Bijlani has been associated with several notable individuals, including Shyam Sunder Bijlani (1873-1945), a renowned educationist and social reformer from Punjab, who founded several schools and advocated for women's education. Ramesh Chandra Bijlani (1920-1998) was a prominent Indian diplomat who served as the ambassador to several countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union.
Another individual of significance was Gopaldas Bijlani (1879-1956), a businessman and philanthropist from Rajasthan, who established several educational institutions and charitable organizations. Rajendra Bijlani (1941-2021) was a renowned cardiologist and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the field of preventive cardiology.
It is also worth mentioning Prem Bijlani (1923-2009), a celebrated Bollywood film producer and director who was responsible for several popular movies in the 1950s and 1960s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bijlani
Among Census respondents with the surname Bijlani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bijlani 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 Bijlani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.1% · 155
- White6.8% · 12
- Two or more races3.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 2
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bijlani
Bijlani 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
#107,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+29 bearers (+19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 10,664 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #107,521 | 176 | 0.06 | +29 bearers (+19.7%) | Up 10,664 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 Bijlani 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 | #118,185 | #107,521 | 9.0% |
| Count | 147 | 176 | 19.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 17.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bijlani bearers went from 147 to 176 (+19.7% change). The surname moved up 10,664 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #107,521.
FAQ
Bijlani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bijlani?
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the surname Bijlani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,696,804 residents.
How common is Bijlani?
Bijlani ranks #107,521 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 176 people with the surname Bijlani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Bijlani.
Has Bijlani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bijlani went from 147 recorded bearers to 176. That is an increase of 29 (+19.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #118,185 to #107,521.
What does the Census say about the background of Bijlani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bijlani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.1%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Bijlani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bijlani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.1%), White (6.8%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Bijlani (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 Bijlani mean?
A Rajput clan surname originating in the Indian state of Rajasthan. 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 Bijlani (0.06 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 are called Bijlani?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Bijlani on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.