2010
#30,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 752
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Rare Last name
Chhetri
A surname indicating a person of the Kshatriya or warrior caste in Nepal and parts of India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,117 Americans carry the last name Chhetri. That puts it at #11,141 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,963 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chhetri 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 Chhetri with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,963
Census rank
#11,141
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,718 bearers of the surname Chhetri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11141st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chhetri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chhetri
The surname "CHHETRI" is of Nepali origin and traces its roots back to the ancient Khagendra region of Nepal. It is believed to have originated from the word "Chhetra," which means "field" or "area" in the Nepali language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Gopalraj Vamshavali, a historical text from the 14th century, which mentions a prominent figure named Chhetri Thapa. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time.
The name is closely associated with the Chhetri caste, a dominant ethnic group in Nepal that historically held positions of power and influence. The Chhetris were known for their valor and military prowess, and many served as soldiers and administrators in the Gorkha kingdom.
In the 18th century, the Chhetri surname gained further prominence during the unification of Nepal by Prithvi Narayan Shah. Several notable Chhetri figures played crucial roles in this process, including Kaji Kalu Pandey Chhetri (1735-1804), who was a prominent military leader and strategist.
Other notable individuals bearing the Chhetri surname include Amar Singh Chhetri (1905-1977), a celebrated Nepali poet and writer, and Bhupi Chhetri (1923-2003), a renowned political figure who served as the first Nepali woman member of parliament.
The name has also been associated with several historical places in Nepal, such as Chhetri Gaun, a village in the Tanahun district, and Chhetri Tol, a neighborhood in the city of Kathmandu.
Overall, the Chhetri surname has a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and social fabric of Nepal. Its prevalence and significance reflect the influential roles played by members of this community throughout the country's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chhetri
Among Census respondents with the surname Chhetri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Chhetri 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 Chhetri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.6% · 2,652
- Two or more races1.1% · 29
- White0.7% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 14
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chhetri
Chhetri 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
#11,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,718
+1,966 bearers (+261.4%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 19,775 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #30,916 | 752 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #11,141 | 2,718 | 0.91 | +1,966 bearers (+261.4%) | Up 19,775 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 Chhetri 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 | #30,916 | #11,141 | 64.0% |
| Count | 752 | 2,718 | 261.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.91 | 263.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chhetri bearers went from 752 to 2,718 (+261.4% change). The surname moved up 19,775 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,916 to #11,141.
FAQ
Chhetri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chhetri?
Name Census estimates that about 3,117 living Americans carry the surname Chhetri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,963 residents.
How common is Chhetri?
Chhetri ranks #11,141 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,718 people with the surname Chhetri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Chhetri.
Has Chhetri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chhetri went from 752 recorded bearers to 2,718. That is an increase of 1,966 (+261.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #30,916 to #11,141.
What does the Census say about the background of Chhetri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chhetri, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.7%). 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 Chhetri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.6% (2,652 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chhetri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.6%), Two or More Races (1.1%), White (0.7%). 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 Chhetri (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 Chhetri mean?
A surname indicating a person of the Kshatriya or warrior caste in Nepal and parts of India. 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 Chhetri (0.91 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 are called Chhetri?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Chhetri on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.