2000
#28,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 799
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Devi
A surname of Indian origin meaning "goddess" or "divine woman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,488 Americans carry the last name Devi. That puts it at #13,411 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,763 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Devi 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 Devi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,763
Census rank
#13,411
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,170 bearers of the surname Devi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13411th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Devi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Devi
The surname Devi originates from India, where it has been in use for centuries. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "devi," which means "goddess" or "divine feminine power." This name is closely associated with Hindu culture and tradition.
In ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, the term "devi" is often used to refer to various goddesses, such as Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. It is a revered and highly respected title, reflecting the spiritual significance and power attributed to the feminine divine.
The earliest records of the surname Devi can be traced back to the 8th century CE, during the Pala Empire in ancient Bengal. It was commonly used by Brahmin families and those with close connections to Hindu temples and religious institutions.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Devi was Rani Devi, a powerful queen who ruled the Ghurid Empire in the 12th century. She was known for her military prowess and her efforts to expand the empire's territories.
Another notable figure was Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, who lived from 1725 to 1795. She was a highly respected ruler of the Malwa kingdom in central India and was renowned for her administrative skills, patronage of arts and culture, and her charitable works.
In the 15th century, the Devi dynasty ruled over parts of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat. One of the most prominent rulers from this dynasty was Rana Devi Singh, who reigned from 1459 to 1489 and was known for his military campaigns and the construction of several forts and palaces.
The Devi surname was also associated with prominent scholars and poets. Mahadevi Verma, born in 1907, was a renowned Hindi poet and writer who played a significant role in the Chhayavaad literary movement. Her works explored themes of feminism, social injustice, and spiritual enlightenment.
In more recent times, Devi Prasad Tripathi, born in 1926, was a distinguished historian and scholar of ancient Indian history and culture. He made significant contributions to the study of the Vedic period and the history of Hinduism.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Devi
Among Census respondents with the surname Devi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Devi 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 Devi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.1% · 1,998
- White4.1% · 89
- Two or more races1.7% · 37
- Black or African American1.1% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Devi
Devi 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
#18,068
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,543
+744 bearers (+93.1%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Up 10,126 places
2020
#13,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,170
+627 bearers (+40.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 4,657 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,194 | 799 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,068 | 1,543 | 0.52 | +744 bearers (+93.1%) | Up 10,126 places |
| 2020 | #13,411 | 2,170 | 0.73 | +627 bearers (+40.6%) | Up 4,657 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 Devi 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 | #18,068 | #13,411 | 25.8% |
| Count | 1,543 | 2,170 | 40.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.73 | 39.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Devi bearers went from 1,543 to 2,170 (+40.6% change). The surname moved up 4,657 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,068 to #13,411.
FAQ
Devi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Devi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,488 living Americans carry the surname Devi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,763 residents.
How common is Devi?
Devi ranks #13,411 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,170 people with the surname Devi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,488), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Devi.
Has Devi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Devi went from 1,543 recorded bearers to 2,170. That is an increase of 627 (+40.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,068 to #13,411.
What does the Census say about the background of Devi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Devi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.1%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Devi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (1,998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Devi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.1%), White (4.1%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Devi (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 Devi mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning "goddess" or "divine woman". 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 Devi (0.73 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 Devi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.