2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bundra
An ancient Dutch surname indicating a person from the village of Bundra.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Bundra. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bundra 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Bundra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bundra, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bundra
The surname Bundra has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "bundara," which means "a deep hole or pit." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in a quarry or mine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bundra can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a village called "Bundra" located in the present-day state of Uttar Pradesh, indicating that the name may have originated as a place name before becoming a surname.
In the 17th century, the Bundra surname appeared in various historical records, such as land deeds and tax registers, across various regions of northern India. One notable example is Govind Ram Bundra, a wealthy landowner and trader from the city of Banaras (present-day Varanasi), who lived between 1630 and 1698.
During the 18th century, the Bundra surname gained prominence among the Maratha communities of western and central India. Malhar Rao Bundra (1720-1789) was a distinguished military leader who served under the Peshwa rulers of the Maratha Empire. His exploits are recorded in several contemporary chronicles and ballads.
In the 19th century, the Bundra surname spread to other parts of the subcontinent, including present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. One notable figure from this period was Bhola Nath Bundra (1842-1912), a renowned scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Bengali literature and folklore.
As the Indian diaspora grew in the 20th century, the Bundra surname also found its way to other parts of the world. Naresh Bundra (1920-2005), a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist, was born in India but later settled in Kenya, where he built a successful business empire.
Throughout its history, the Bundra surname has been associated with various occupations, including farming, trade, military service, and academia. While its origins can be traced back to a specific region and linguistic root, the name has transcended geographical boundaries and taken on diverse meanings for the individuals and families who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bundra
Among Census respondents with the surname Bundra, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bundra 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 Bundra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bundra
Bundra 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-11 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,277 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 18,277 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,072 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 Bundra 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 | #143,149 | #147,221 | -2.8% |
| Count | 116 | 113 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bundra bearers went from 116 to 113 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,221.
FAQ
Bundra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bundra?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Bundra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Bundra?
Bundra ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Bundra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bundra.
Has Bundra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bundra went from 116 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Bundra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bundra, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and Black (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bundra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bundra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (8.0%), Black (1.8%). 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 Bundra (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 Bundra mean?
An ancient Dutch surname indicating a person from the village of Bundra. 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 Bundra (0.04 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 have the surname Bundra?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.