2000
#17,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,483
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Chauhan
A surname of Indian origin referring to a member of the Rajput caste associated with rulership and nobility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,229 Americans carry the last name Chauhan. That puts it at #6,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 55,026 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chauhan 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 Chauhan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.2K
1 in 55,026
Census rank
#6,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,432 bearers of the surname Chauhan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chauhan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chauhan
The surname Chauhan originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Rajasthan. It is believed to have derived from the Chauhan Rajput clan, which ruled over parts of present-day Rajasthan and surrounding areas from the 6th to the 12th centuries. The name is rooted in the Sanskrit language, where "Chau" means "four" and "Han" means "divisions" or "branches," referring to the four main branches of the Chauhan clan.
Historical records indicate that the Chauhan Rajputs established their kingdom in the region around the present-day city of Ajmer in the 7th century. They gained prominence during the reign of Prithviraj Chauhan (1166-1192), who is celebrated as one of the greatest warriors and rulers of the Chauhan dynasty. Prithviraj Chauhan's heroic exploits against the invading Muslim forces are documented in several literary works, including the epic poem "Prithviraj Raso."
The Chauhan surname is mentioned in various ancient texts and inscriptions, such as the Gwalior inscription of the 9th century and the Bijolia rock inscription of the 11th century. These inscriptions provide valuable insights into the history and genealogy of the Chauhan Rajputs.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Chauhan surname can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab traveler and scholar, Al-Biruni, who visited India in the 11th century. He documented the name "Chauhan" in his accounts of the region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Chauhan surname. Some examples include:
1. Prithviraj Chauhan (c. 1166-1192), the legendary Rajput king and warrior who ruled over the Chauhan dynasty.
2. Vigraha Raja Chauhan (c. 975-1010), a prominent ruler of the Chauhan dynasty and the founder of the city of Vigraha-Pura (present-day Bijolia).
3. Govind Chandra Chauhan (c. 1340-1382), a ruler of the Chauhan dynasty who fought against the Delhi Sultanate.
4. Raj Singh Chauhan (1654-1688), a Rajput warrior and chieftain who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Mughal Empire and the Rajput kingdoms.
5. Vishvamitra Chauhan (c. 1850-1920), an Indian independence activist and writer who advocated for social reforms and women's education.
The Chauhan surname is still prevalent in various parts of India, particularly in Rajasthan, and is associated with the legacy of the Chauhan Rajputs, their bravery, and their contributions to the region's history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chauhan
Among Census respondents with the surname Chauhan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chauhan 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 Chauhan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.5% · 5,078
- White2.5% · 137
- Two or more races2.3% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 34
- Black or African American0.5% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chauhan
Chauhan 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
#10,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,975
+1,492 bearers (+100.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 6,779 places
2020
#6,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,432
+2,457 bearers (+82.6%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 4,655 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,510 | 1,483 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,731 | 2,975 | 1.01 | +1,492 bearers (+100.6%) | Up 6,779 places |
| 2020 | #6,076 | 5,432 | 1.82 | +2,457 bearers (+82.6%) | Up 4,655 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 Chauhan 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 | #10,731 | #6,076 | 43.4% |
| Count | 2,975 | 5,432 | 82.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 1.82 | 79.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chauhan bearers went from 2,975 to 5,432 (+82.6% change). The surname moved up 4,655 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,731 to #6,076.
FAQ
Chauhan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chauhan?
Name Census estimates that about 6,229 living Americans carry the surname Chauhan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 55,026 residents.
How common is Chauhan?
Chauhan ranks #6,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,432 people with the surname Chauhan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Chauhan.
Has Chauhan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chauhan went from 2,975 recorded bearers to 5,432. That is an increase of 2,457 (+82.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,731 to #6,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Chauhan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chauhan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Chauhan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (5,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chauhan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.5%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Chauhan (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 Chauhan mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a member of the Rajput caste associated with rulership and nobility. 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 Chauhan (1.82 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 Chauhan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.