2000
#2,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,057
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.84
Uncommon Last name
Desai
A surname of Indian origin, indicating the person is a member of the Desai clan of Gujarati Hindus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,322 Americans carry the last name Desai. That puts it at #1,518 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,022 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desai 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 Desai with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,022
Census rank
#1,518
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,954 bearers of the surname Desai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1518th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desai
The surname Desai originated in India, specifically in the western state of Gujarat. The name can be traced back to the 10th century AD, during the rule of the Chalukya dynasty. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'desh,' meaning 'country' or 'region,' and the suffix 'ai' denoting 'belonging to.' Thus, Desai essentially means 'one belonging to a particular region or country.'
In ancient records, the name Desai was often associated with members of the Brahmin caste who served as advisors or administrators in various princely states across Gujarat. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a historical text called the 'Prabandha Chintamani,' written by the Jain scholar Merutunga in the 14th century.
The Desai surname was particularly prominent in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, where many Desai families held influential positions in the courts of local rulers. One notable example is Shri Khemraj Desai, a renowned scholar and advisor to the Nawanagar state in the 18th century.
Another significant figure in history with the Desai surname was Govardhanram Tripathi Desai, a prominent social reformer and writer who lived from 1835 to 1899. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Gujarati language and literature.
During the British Raj in India, several Desai families became prominent landowners and businessmen. One such family was led by Khushalbhai Desai, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who lived from 1856 to 1926.
In the realm of arts and culture, the Desai name has also made its mark. Jnanpith Award-winning novelist and playwright, Bhagwati Desai (1906-1988), was a prominent figure in the Gujarati literary world.
Another notable figure was Morarji Desai, who served as the Prime Minister of India from 1977 to 1979. He was born in 1896 and played a significant role in India's independence movement and post-independence politics.
While the Desai surname has its roots in Gujarat, it has since spread across various parts of India and even internationally. However, its historical origins and significance remain deeply rooted in the cultural heritage of the western Indian state.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desai
Among Census respondents with the surname Desai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Desai 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 Desai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.2% · 21,398
- White3.0% · 684
- Two or more races2.6% · 595
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 123
- Black or African American0.5% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desai
Desai 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
#1,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,638
+5,581 bearers (+42.7%)
Per 100,000 6.32
Rank movement Up 602 places
2020
#1,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,954
+4,316 bearers (+23.2%)
Per 100,000 7.68
Rank movement Up 420 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,540 | 13,057 | 4.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,938 | 18,638 | 6.32 | +5,581 bearers (+42.7%) | Up 602 places |
| 2020 | #1,518 | 22,954 | 7.68 | +4,316 bearers (+23.2%) | Up 420 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 Desai 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 | #1,938 | #1,518 | 21.7% |
| Count | 18,638 | 22,954 | 23.2% |
| Per 100K | 6.32 | 7.68 | 21.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desai bearers went from 18,638 to 22,954 (+23.2% change). The surname moved up 420 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,938 to #1,518.
FAQ
Desai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desai?
Name Census estimates that about 26,322 living Americans carry the surname Desai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,022 residents.
How common is Desai?
Desai ranks #1,518 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,954 people with the surname Desai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Desai.
Has Desai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desai went from 18,638 recorded bearers to 22,954. That is an increase of 4,316 (+23.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,938 to #1,518.
What does the Census say about the background of Desai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Desai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (21,398 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.2%), White (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Desai (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 Desai mean?
A surname of Indian origin, indicating the person is a member of the Desai clan of Gujarati Hindus. 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 Desai (7.68 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 Desai?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.