2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Boparai
An Indian surname said to originate from a village in Punjab.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 654 Americans carry the last name Boparai. That puts it at #41,199 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 524,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boparai 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 Boparai with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
654
1 in 524,089
Census rank
#41,199
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
570
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 570 bearers of the surname Boparai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41199th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boparai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boparai
The surname Boparai originated in the Punjab region of India, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Punjabi language and is believed to have roots in the ancient village or town of Bopar, which was likely located in what is now the Indian state of Punjab or the Pakistani province of Punjab.
This surname has a rich history and can be traced back to the 16th century, with records indicating that individuals bearing this name were prominent landowners and influential figures in the region. The earliest known reference to the Boparai name appears in a historical document from the Mughal Empire, dated around 1580, which mentions a nobleman named Gurdev Singh Boparai.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Boparai family played a significant role in the Punjab region, with several members holding positions of power and authority within the local administration. One notable figure from this era was Bhai Mani Singh Boparai, a renowned Sikh scholar and warrior who lived from 1644 to 1737 and is revered for his contributions to Sikh literature and his bravery in battles against the Mughal rulers.
As the centuries progressed, the Boparai surname spread across the Indian subcontinent, with families bearing this name settling in various parts of Punjab, as well as in neighboring states and regions. In the 19th century, a prominent Boparai was Sardar Bahadur Bhai Arjan Singh Boparai, a respected leader and philanthropist who was instrumental in establishing educational institutions and promoting social welfare initiatives in the region.
Another notable individual with the Boparai surname was Karam Singh Boparai, a renowned poet and writer who lived from 1881 to 1961. His literary works, written in the Punjabi language, were celebrated for their depth and creativity, and he is regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of his time in the Punjab region.
In more recent history, the Boparai surname has gained recognition globally, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields, such as academia, business, and politics. One prominent example is Dr. Harjinder Singh Boparai, a respected academic and scholar who has authored numerous books and research publications on Sikh studies and Punjab history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boparai
Among Census respondents with the surname Boparai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Boparai 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 Boparai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 541
- White2.5% · 14
- Two or more races1.6% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boparai
Boparai 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
#56,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 364
+207 bearers (+131.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 49,179 places
2020
#41,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 570
+206 bearers (+56.6%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 14,996 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,195 | 364 | 0.12 | +207 bearers (+131.8%) | Up 49,179 places |
| 2020 | #41,199 | 570 | 0.19 | +206 bearers (+56.6%) | Up 14,996 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 Boparai 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 | #56,195 | #41,199 | 26.7% |
| Count | 364 | 570 | 56.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.19 | 58.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boparai bearers went from 364 to 570 (+56.6% change). The surname moved up 14,996 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,195 to #41,199.
FAQ
Boparai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boparai?
Name Census estimates that about 654 living Americans carry the surname Boparai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 524,089 residents.
How common is Boparai?
Boparai ranks #41,199 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 570 people with the surname Boparai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Boparai.
Has Boparai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boparai went from 364 recorded bearers to 570. That is an increase of 206 (+56.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #56,195 to #41,199.
What does the Census say about the background of Boparai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boparai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Boparai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (541 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boparai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.9%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Boparai (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 Boparai mean?
An Indian surname said to originate from a village in Punjab. 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 Boparai (0.19 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 share the surname Boparai?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.