2000
#18,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,369
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Chawla
A Punjabi surname referring to a member of the Arora caste, traditionally associated with trade and commerce.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,412 Americans carry the last name Chawla. That puts it at #10,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,456 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chawla 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 Chawla with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,456
Census rank
#10,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,975 bearers of the surname Chawla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chawla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chawla
The surname Chawla is of Indian origin, specifically from the Punjab region. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'chawala', which means a trader or seller of grains or cereals. The name is believed to have originated during the medieval period when trade and commerce flourished in the Indian subcontinent.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Chawla can be traced back to historical texts and records from the 16th and 17th centuries. It appears in various manuscripts and documents related to trade, taxation, and land ownership in the Punjab region. The name was particularly prevalent among the Khatri and Arora communities, which were traditionally involved in trade and business activities.
One of the earliest known references to the name Chawla can be found in the 'Ain-i-Akbari', a detailed document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1542-1605). This text mentions individuals with the surname Chawla who were engaged in the grain trade and held positions of authority in the imperial administration.
In the 18th century, the name Chawla gained prominence in the city of Lahore, which was a major commercial hub during that time. Several notable individuals with the surname Chawla emerged as influential merchants and traders, contributing to the economic prosperity of the region.
One of the most well-known figures in Indian history with the surname Chawla was Lala Lajpat Rai Chawla (1865-1928), a prominent freedom fighter, and leader of the Indian independence movement. He was also a noted author, lawyer, and social reformer who played a vital role in the struggle against British rule.
Another notable person with the surname Chawla was Satish Chawla (1914-1994), a renowned Indian civil servant and economist. He served as the Finance Secretary of India and played a crucial role in shaping the country's economic policies in the post-independence era.
Vijay Chawla (1949-2013) was a celebrated Indian cricketer who represented India in both Test and One Day International matches. He was a skilled wicket-keeper and is remembered for his contributions to Indian cricket in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the field of arts and culture, Neelima Chawla (born 1944) is a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She has made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of various Indian dance forms, including Kathak and Bharatanatyam.
Prem Chawla (1924-2009) was a distinguished Indian journalist and author. He worked as the editor of several prominent Indian newspapers and published several books on politics, history, and social issues, earning him a reputation as a respected voice in the Indian literary and journalistic circles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chawla
Among Census respondents with the surname Chawla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Chawla 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 Chawla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.6% · 2,667
- White5.1% · 151
- Two or more races3.4% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 30
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chawla
Chawla 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
#13,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,226
+857 bearers (+62.6%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 4,970 places
2020
#10,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,975
+749 bearers (+33.6%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 3,312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,582 | 1,369 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,612 | 2,226 | 0.75 | +857 bearers (+62.6%) | Up 4,970 places |
| 2020 | #10,300 | 2,975 | 1.00 | +749 bearers (+33.6%) | Up 3,312 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 Chawla 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 | #13,612 | #10,300 | 24.3% |
| Count | 2,226 | 2,975 | 33.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 1.00 | 32.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chawla bearers went from 2,226 to 2,975 (+33.6% change). The surname moved up 3,312 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,612 to #10,300.
FAQ
Chawla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chawla?
Name Census estimates that about 3,412 living Americans carry the surname Chawla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,456 residents.
How common is Chawla?
Chawla ranks #10,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,975 people with the surname Chawla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,412), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Chawla.
Has Chawla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chawla went from 2,226 recorded bearers to 2,975. That is an increase of 749 (+33.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,612 to #10,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Chawla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chawla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Chawla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (2,667 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chawla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.6%), White (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Chawla (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 Chawla mean?
A Punjabi surname referring to a member of the Arora caste, traditionally associated with trade and commerce. 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 Chawla (1.00 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 Chawla?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.