2000
#32,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 680
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Rare Last name
Chakraborty
A Bengali surname derived from the Sanskrit chakravarti, meaning "sovereign ruler" or "emperor".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,202 Americans carry the last name Chakraborty. That puts it at #10,900 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,044 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chakraborty 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 Chakraborty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,044
Census rank
#10,900
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,792 bearers of the surname Chakraborty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10900th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chakraborty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chakraborty
The surname Chakraborty has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of Bengal and Bangladesh. It dates back several centuries and is derived from the Sanskrit words "chakra" meaning wheel or circle, and "borty" meaning occupation or profession. The name was initially associated with those who crafted wheels, pottery or other circular objects as their primary vocation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chakraborty surname can be found in the Akbar-era revenue records from the late 16th century. These documents mention several individuals with this surname residing in various villages across Bengal. The name also appears in local land grant records and court chronicles from the 17th and 18th centuries.
The surname's spelling has evolved over time, with variations such as Chakravarti, Chakravartty, and Chakrabortty being used in different regions and time periods. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include the 19th-century Bengali author and social reformer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894), who was also known as Bankim Chakraborty.
Another prominent figure was Upendranath Chakraborty (1863-1915), a renowned Bengali writer and playwright. The Indian freedom fighter and social activist Basanta Kumar Chakraborty (1887-1969) played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and the upliftment of the underprivileged.
In more recent times, the Chakraborty surname has been associated with accomplished individuals across various fields. For instance, Utpal Chakraborty (1924-1993) was a celebrated Bengali actor and director, renowned for his contributions to Indian theater and cinema. Sourav Chakraborty (born 1976) is a prominent Indian cricketer who captained the national team and is considered one of the most successful captains in Indian cricket history.
While the Chakraborty surname originated in Bengal and Bangladesh, it has since spread to other parts of the Indian subcontinent and across the globe due to migration and diaspora communities. The name continues to carry a rich cultural heritage and legacy rooted in its ancient Sanskrit origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chakraborty
Among Census respondents with the surname Chakraborty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Chakraborty 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 Chakraborty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.1% · 2,656
- White2.0% · 55
- Two or more races1.9% · 54
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chakraborty
Chakraborty 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
#18,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,537
+857 bearers (+126.0%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Up 13,910 places
2020
#10,900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,792
+1,255 bearers (+81.7%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 7,216 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,026 | 680 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,116 | 1,537 | 0.52 | +857 bearers (+126.0%) | Up 13,910 places |
| 2020 | #10,900 | 2,792 | 0.93 | +1,255 bearers (+81.7%) | Up 7,216 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 Chakraborty 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 | #18,116 | #10,900 | 39.8% |
| Count | 1,537 | 2,792 | 81.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.93 | 79.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chakraborty bearers went from 1,537 to 2,792 (+81.7% change). The surname moved up 7,216 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,116 to #10,900.
FAQ
Chakraborty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chakraborty?
Name Census estimates that about 3,202 living Americans carry the surname Chakraborty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,044 residents.
How common is Chakraborty?
Chakraborty ranks #10,900 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,792 people with the surname Chakraborty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Chakraborty.
Has Chakraborty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chakraborty went from 1,537 recorded bearers to 2,792. That is an increase of 1,255 (+81.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,116 to #10,900.
What does the Census say about the background of Chakraborty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chakraborty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Chakraborty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (2,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chakraborty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.1%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Chakraborty (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 Chakraborty mean?
A Bengali surname derived from the Sanskrit chakravarti, meaning "sovereign ruler" or "emperor". 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 Chakraborty (0.93 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 Chakraborty?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.