2010
#20,468
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,297
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Dahal
A surname originating from Nepal, often associated with the ethnic Brahmin community.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,969 Americans carry the last name Dahal. That puts it at #9,068 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,358 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dahal 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
4.0K
1 in 86,358
Census rank
#9,068
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,461 bearers of the surname Dahal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9068th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.5%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dahal
The surname DAHAL originated in Nepal, a country located in South Asia. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the medieval period, likely between the 12th and 16th centuries. This name is derived from the Nepali word "dah," which translates to "hill" or "mountain." It is thought that the DAHAL surname was initially given to individuals or families residing in hilly or mountainous regions of Nepal.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the DAHAL surname can be found in the Gopalarajavamsavali, a historical chronicle written in the 15th century. This text references a prominent figure named Dahal Kaji, who served as a military commander during the reign of King Jayasthiti Malla of the Malla Dynasty.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Bhim Dahal played a significant role in the unification of various principalities in the Kathmandu Valley. He served as a trusted advisor and military strategist to King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of the Kingdom of Gorkha, which later became the modern nation of Nepal.
During the 18th century, a revered poet and playwright named Bhanubhakta Dahal made invaluable contributions to Nepali literature. His most famous work, the Ramayana, is considered a seminal text in the Nepali language and has been widely studied and celebrated.
In the 19th century, Amar Singh Dahal was a prominent figure who served as the Prime Minister of Nepal during the Rana dynasty. He held this position from 1846 to 1856 and played a crucial role in shaping the political landscape of the time.
Another influential individual with the DAHAL surname was Ganesh Man Dahal, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a renowned scholar, writer, and social reformer, known for his efforts in promoting education and advocating for social and cultural changes in Nepal.
While the DAHAL surname has its roots in the hills and mountains of Nepal, over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions across various fields, including literature, politics, and military strategy, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dahal
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.5%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dahal 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 Dahal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander98.5% · 3,408
- White0.8% · 29
- Two or more races0.4% · 13
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dahal
Dahal 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
#9,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,461
+2,164 bearers (+166.8%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 11,400 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #20,468 | 1,297 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #9,068 | 3,461 | 1.16 | +2,164 bearers (+166.8%) | Up 11,400 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 Dahal 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 | #20,468 | #9,068 | 55.7% |
| Count | 1,297 | 3,461 | 166.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 1.16 | 163.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dahal bearers went from 1,297 to 3,461 (+166.8% change). The surname moved up 11,400 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,468 to #9,068.
FAQ
Dahal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dahal?
Name Census estimates that about 3,969 living Americans carry the surname Dahal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,358 residents.
How common is Dahal?
Dahal ranks #9,068 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,461 people with the surname Dahal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,969), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Dahal.
Has Dahal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dahal went from 1,297 recorded bearers to 3,461. That is an increase of 2,164 (+166.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,468 to #9,068.
What does the Census say about the background of Dahal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dahal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.5%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Dahal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.5% (3,408 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dahal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (98.5%), White (0.8%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Dahal (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 Dahal mean?
A surname originating from Nepal, often associated with the ethnic Brahmin community. 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 Dahal (1.16 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 share the surname Dahal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.