2000
#23,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Deshpande
A Marathi surname indicating a village headman, traditionally in charge of ten villages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,359 Americans carry the last name Deshpande. That puts it at #8,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,631 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Deshpande 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 Deshpande with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,631
Census rank
#8,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,801 bearers of the surname Deshpande in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Deshpande, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Deshpande
The surname Deshpande has its origins in India, specifically in the western and central regions of the subcontinent. It dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 16th centuries. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words 'desha,' meaning 'country' or 'region,' and 'pande,' which refers to a learned person or scholar.
Deshpande was a title conferred upon individuals who were well-versed in various fields of knowledge, such as philosophy, religion, and astrology. These learned men often served as advisors to rulers and noble families, providing guidance on matters of governance, rituals, and cultural traditions.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Deshpande can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This work mentions several individuals bearing the Deshpande surname who held prominent positions in the imperial court.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Mukundraj Deshpande emerged as a renowned astrologer and scholar in the court of the Yadava dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Maharashtra and Karnataka. His contributions to the field of astrology and his writings on astronomical calculations were highly regarded during that era.
Another prominent individual with the surname Deshpande was Govind Pant Deshpande, who lived in the 17th century and served as a minister in the court of the Maratha ruler Shivaji Maharaj. He played a crucial role in the administration and governance of the Maratha Empire.
In the realm of literature, Vishnudas Deshpande, born in the 18th century, was a celebrated Marathi poet and playwright. His works, such as the famous play "Samsharakalik," explored themes of social reform and the critique of prevailing societal norms.
During the 19th century, Mahadev Govind Deshpande, a renowned scholar and reformer, made significant contributions to the field of education and social upliftment. He founded several educational institutions and advocated for the education of women and the empowerment of marginalized communities.
Throughout history, the Deshpande surname has been associated with individuals who excelled in various fields, such as academia, literature, governance, and social reform. Their contributions have left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Deshpande
Among Census respondents with the surname Deshpande, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Deshpande 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 Deshpande surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 3,625
- White2.3% · 86
- Two or more races1.6% · 62
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Deshpande
Deshpande 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
#13,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,281
+1,250 bearers (+121.2%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 9,768 places
2020
#8,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,801
+1,520 bearers (+66.6%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 5,019 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,128 | 1,031 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,360 | 2,281 | 0.77 | +1,250 bearers (+121.2%) | Up 9,768 places |
| 2020 | #8,341 | 3,801 | 1.27 | +1,520 bearers (+66.6%) | Up 5,019 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 Deshpande 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 | #13,360 | #8,341 | 37.6% |
| Count | 2,281 | 3,801 | 66.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 1.27 | 65.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Deshpande bearers went from 2,281 to 3,801 (+66.6% change). The surname moved up 5,019 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,360 to #8,341.
FAQ
Deshpande surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Deshpande?
Name Census estimates that about 4,359 living Americans carry the surname Deshpande. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,631 residents.
How common is Deshpande?
Deshpande ranks #8,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,801 people with the surname Deshpande. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,359), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Deshpande.
Has Deshpande become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Deshpande went from 2,281 recorded bearers to 3,801. That is an increase of 1,520 (+66.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,360 to #8,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Deshpande?
Among Census respondents with the surname Deshpande, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Deshpande in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (3,625 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Deshpande appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), White (2.3%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Deshpande (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 Deshpande mean?
A Marathi surname indicating a village headman, traditionally in charge of ten villages. 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 Deshpande (1.27 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 Deshpande?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.