2010
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Budhathoki
A Nepali surname indicating the bearer's geographic origin or place of residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 678 Americans carry the last name Budhathoki. That puts it at #40,048 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 505,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Budhathoki 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
678
1 in 505,537
Census rank
#40,048
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
591
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 591 bearers of the surname Budhathoki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40048th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Budhathoki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.0%. The next largest groups are White (0.5%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Budhathoki
The surname BUDHATHOKI has its origins in Nepal, a country located in South Asia. It is a name that can be traced back to the medieval period, specifically to the Khas people who inhabited parts of the present-day western and central regions of Nepal.
BUDHATHOKI is derived from the Sanskrit words "Buddha" and "thok," with "Buddha" referring to an awakened or enlightened individual and "thok" meaning a place or location. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a person or family residing in a place connected to Buddhism or Buddhist practices.
Historical records from the Malla period (1201-1768 CE) in Nepal mention individuals with the surname BUDHATHOKI, indicating its usage during the reign of the Malla kings. However, the earliest known reference to the name can be found in a manuscript dating back to the 15th century, which documents a land grant to a person bearing the surname BUDHATHOKI.
One notable figure with this surname was Amar Singh Budhathoki (1889-1981), a Nepali politician and social reformer who played a significant role in the establishment of democracy in Nepal. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly and was instrumental in drafting the country's first constitution.
Another prominent individual was Jagadish Chandra Budhathoki (1901-1977), a renowned Nepali poet, and writer who contributed greatly to the literary landscape of Nepal. His works, often centered around themes of nationalism and social commentary, earned him widespread recognition and acclaim.
In the realm of education, Dhananjaya Budhathoki (1925-2010) made significant contributions as a renowned scholar and educator. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, Nepal's first national university, and played a crucial role in shaping the country's academic landscape.
The name BUDHATHOKI has also been associated with places and localities within Nepal. For instance, the village of Budhathoki in the Syangja district is believed to have been named after a prominent family or individual bearing this surname.
Furthermore, the name BUDHATHOKI has been documented in various historical records, including land ownership documents, administrative records, and literary works from the medieval and early modern periods of Nepal's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Budhathoki
Among Census respondents with the surname Budhathoki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.0%. The next largest groups are White (0.5%) and Two or More Races (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Budhathoki 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 Budhathoki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander99.0% · 585
- White0.5% · 3
- Two or more races0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Budhathoki
Budhathoki 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
#40,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 591
+443 bearers (+299.3%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 77,432 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #40,048 | 591 | 0.20 | +443 bearers (+299.3%) | Up 77,432 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 Budhathoki 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 | #117,480 | #40,048 | 65.9% |
| Count | 148 | 591 | 299.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.20 | 295.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Budhathoki bearers went from 148 to 591 (+299.3% change). The surname moved up 77,432 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #40,048.
FAQ
Budhathoki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Budhathoki?
Name Census estimates that about 678 living Americans carry the surname Budhathoki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 505,537 residents.
How common is Budhathoki?
Budhathoki ranks #40,048 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 591 people with the surname Budhathoki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (678), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Budhathoki.
Has Budhathoki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Budhathoki went from 148 recorded bearers to 591. That is an increase of 443 (+299.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #117,480 to #40,048.
What does the Census say about the background of Budhathoki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Budhathoki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 99.0%. The next largest groups are White (0.5%) and Two or More Races (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 Budhathoki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Budhathoki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (99.0%), White (0.5%), Two or More Races (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 Budhathoki (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 Budhathoki mean?
A Nepali surname indicating the bearer's geographic origin or place of residence. 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 Budhathoki (0.20 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 common is the surname Budhathoki?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Budhathoki on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.