2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Budhiraja
A Sanskrit name meaning "lord of wisdom" or "master of intellect".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 202 Americans carry the last name Budhiraja. 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 Budhiraja 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 Budhiraja 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 Budhiraja, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Budhiraja
The surname BUDHIRAJA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern regions of the country. It is a compound word derived from the Sanskrit language, with "Budhi" meaning intellect or wisdom, and "Raja" meaning king or ruler. This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who were considered wise or knowledgeable leaders within their communities.
The earliest known references to the BUDHIRAJA surname can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used to denote individuals of high intellectual or spiritual standing. It is believed that the name gained prominence during the medieval period, particularly in the context of Hindu and Buddhist philosophy and literature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BUDHIRAJA name can be found in the Puranic literature, which consists of a vast collection of ancient Hindu texts. The name appears in the Bhagavata Purana, one of the most revered scriptures in Hinduism, written around the 9th century CE. This suggests that the BUDHIRAJA surname was already in use during this time period.
Over the centuries, several notable figures have borne the BUDHIRAJA surname. One prominent example is Acharya Budhiraja, a revered Hindu scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. He is known for his extensive works on Vedanta philosophy and his commentaries on ancient Hindu texts.
Another historical figure of note is Pandit Budhiraja Sharma, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and linguist from the 18th century. He authored numerous texts on Sanskrit grammar, poetry, and literature, and his works are still studied and revered by scholars today.
In the field of mathematics, Budhiraja Mishra, born in 1587, made significant contributions to the study of algebra and arithmetic. His treatise, "Bijganita Vatika," or "The Garden of Algebra," is considered a seminal work in the development of Hindu mathematics.
The BUDHIRAJA surname also found its way into the realms of politics and governance. One prominent example is Raja Budhiraja Singh, a 17th-century ruler of the princely state of Bharatpur in northern India. He was known for his wise and just rule, as well as his patronage of the arts and literature.
Another noteworthy figure is Budhiraja Ambedkar, a 20th-century Indian jurist and political leader. He was the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and a champion of human rights and social justice. Despite not being directly related to the BUDHIRAJA surname, his middle name "Budhiraja" was likely a nod to the name's connotations of wisdom and intellect.
While the BUDHIRAJA surname may have its roots in ancient times, it continues to be a prominent name in various parts of India, particularly in the northern regions. The name's association with wisdom, leadership, and intellectual pursuits has endured throughout the centuries, making it a unique and meaningful surname within the diverse tapestry of Indian culture and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Budhiraja
Among Census respondents with the surname Budhiraja, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Budhiraja 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 Budhiraja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 167
- White2.8% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Budhiraja
Budhiraja 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
+61 bearers (+53.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 36,620 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #107,521 | 176 | 0.06 | +61 bearers (+53.0%) | Up 36,620 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 Budhiraja 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 | #144,141 | #107,521 | 25.4% |
| Count | 115 | 176 | 53.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.06 | 47.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Budhiraja bearers went from 115 to 176 (+53.0% change). The surname moved up 36,620 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #107,521.
FAQ
Budhiraja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Budhiraja?
Name Census estimates that about 202 living Americans carry the surname Budhiraja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,696,804 residents.
How common is Budhiraja?
Budhiraja 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 Budhiraja. 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 Budhiraja.
Has Budhiraja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Budhiraja went from 115 recorded bearers to 176. That is an increase of 61 (+53.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #107,521.
What does the Census say about the background of Budhiraja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Budhiraja, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Budhiraja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (167 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Budhiraja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.9%), White (2.8%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Budhiraja (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 Budhiraja mean?
A Sanskrit name meaning "lord of wisdom" or "master of intellect". 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 Budhiraja (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 Americans have the surname Budhiraja?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.