2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Debnath
A Hindu surname indicating a God worshipper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 811 Americans carry the last name Debnath. That puts it at #34,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 422,632 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Debnath 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 Debnath with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
811
1 in 422,632
Census rank
#34,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
707
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 707 bearers of the surname Debnath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Debnath, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Debnath
The surname DEBNATH is of Indian origin, specifically from the Bengal region. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Deb," meaning God or Lord, and "Nath," meaning master or protector. Together, the name DEBNATH signifies "Lord's master" or "Protector of the Lord."
The name DEBNATH can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used as a title or honorific for spiritual leaders and gurus. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by individuals associated with religious or spiritual pursuits, such as priests, scholars, or practitioners of yoga and meditation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEBNATH can be found in the Baul literature of Bengal, a genre of mystic poetry and songs from the 16th and 17th centuries. Several Baul composers and singers bore the surname DEBNATH, indicating its significance in the region's cultural and spiritual heritage.
Over time, the name DEBNATH spread beyond its religious origins and became a common surname among various communities in Bengal. It is found in both Hindu and Muslim families, reflecting the diverse cultural influences that shaped the region's history.
Notable individuals with the surname DEBNATH include:
1. Kalidas Debnath (1901-1973), a renowned Bengali poet and novelist known for his works exploring rural life and social issues.
2. Kailash Chandra Debnath (1908-1987), an accomplished Indian sculptor and artist who contributed significantly to the development of modern Indian sculpture.
3. Mani Shankar Debnath (born 1935), a celebrated Indian cartoonist and creator of the iconic comic character "Handa Bhonda," which gained immense popularity in Bengal and beyond.
4. Swami Debnath Giri (dates unknown), a revered spiritual leader and founder of the Debnath Ashram in Asansol, West Bengal, known for his teachings on Vedanta philosophy.
5. Prabir Debnath (born 1960), a distinguished Indian cricketer who played domestic cricket for Bengal and represented India in Test matches during the 1980s.
While the surname DEBNATH has its roots in the spiritual and religious traditions of Bengal, it has transcended its original connotations and become a well-established name across various communities in the region and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Debnath
Among Census respondents with the surname Debnath, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Debnath 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 Debnath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 665
- White2.1% · 15
- Two or more races1.8% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Debnath
Debnath 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
#62,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 320
+200 bearers (+166.7%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 67,912 places
2020
#34,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 707
+387 bearers (+120.9%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 28,006 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,531 | 320 | 0.11 | +200 bearers (+166.7%) | Up 67,912 places |
| 2020 | #34,525 | 707 | 0.24 | +387 bearers (+120.9%) | Up 28,006 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 Debnath 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 | #62,531 | #34,525 | 44.8% |
| Count | 320 | 707 | 120.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.24 | 115.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Debnath bearers went from 320 to 707 (+120.9% change). The surname moved up 28,006 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,531 to #34,525.
FAQ
Debnath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Debnath?
Name Census estimates that about 811 living Americans carry the surname Debnath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 422,632 residents.
How common is Debnath?
Debnath ranks #34,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 707 people with the surname Debnath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (811), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Debnath.
Has Debnath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Debnath went from 320 recorded bearers to 707. That is an increase of 387 (+120.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #62,531 to #34,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Debnath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Debnath, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Debnath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (665 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Debnath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (2.1%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Debnath (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 Debnath mean?
A Hindu surname indicating a God worshipper. 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 Debnath (0.24 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 Debnath?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.