2000
#14,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,818
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Dhaliwal
A Punjabi Jat Sikh surname derived from the village of Dhaliwal in Punjab, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,104 Americans carry the last name Dhaliwal. That puts it at #7,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,154 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dhaliwal 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 Dhaliwal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,154
Census rank
#7,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,451 bearers of the surname Dhaliwal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhaliwal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and White (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dhaliwal
The surname Dhaliwal originated from the Punjab region of South Asia, which is now divided between India and Pakistan. It traces its roots back to the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries CE. The name is derived from the Punjabi words 'dhal', meaning a type of lentil crop, and 'wal', referring to a hamlet or small village.
Dhaliwal was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals involved in the cultivation and trade of lentils. As the name became more widespread, it also took on geographic connotations, denoting people hailing from villages or areas known for lentil farming. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient land records and tax registers from the Punjab region during the Mughal Empire.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Dhaliwal was Bhai Mani Singh (1644-1734), a renowned Sikh scholar and warrior who played a pivotal role in preserving and compiling the sacred texts of Sikhism. His contributions earned him the title of 'Granthi' (keeper of the Guru Granth Sahib).
Another prominent individual with the Dhaliwal surname was Sardar Bahadur Sohan Singh Dhaliwal (1868-1937), a prominent leader of the Indian independence movement and a member of the Punjab Legislative Council during British rule.
In the literary realm, Gurdial Singh Dhaliwal (1932-2021) was a celebrated Punjabi novelist and short story writer, known for his vivid depictions of rural Punjabi life and culture. His works, such as "Anhe Ghore Da Daan" and "Pagg," earned him numerous accolades, including the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Another notable figure was Sardar Harkishan Singh Dhaliwal (1899-1984), a distinguished military officer who served in the British Indian Army and later became a member of the Indian Constituent Assembly, responsible for drafting the Constitution of India.
Harjinder Singh Dhaliwal (1932-2006) was a renowned Indian journalist and editor who worked for various esteemed publications, including The Tribune and Hindustan Times. He was widely respected for his integrity and commitment to ethical journalism.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dhaliwal
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhaliwal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and White (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Dhaliwal 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 Dhaliwal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.8% · 4,174
- Two or more races2.4% · 109
- White2.4% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dhaliwal
Dhaliwal 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
#10,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,187
+1,369 bearers (+75.3%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 4,825 places
2020
#7,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,451
+1,264 bearers (+39.7%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Up 2,876 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,932 | 1,818 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,107 | 3,187 | 1.08 | +1,369 bearers (+75.3%) | Up 4,825 places |
| 2020 | #7,231 | 4,451 | 1.49 | +1,264 bearers (+39.7%) | Up 2,876 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 Dhaliwal 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 | #10,107 | #7,231 | 28.5% |
| Count | 3,187 | 4,451 | 39.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.49 | 37.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dhaliwal bearers went from 3,187 to 4,451 (+39.7% change). The surname moved up 2,876 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,107 to #7,231.
FAQ
Dhaliwal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dhaliwal?
Name Census estimates that about 5,104 living Americans carry the surname Dhaliwal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,154 residents.
How common is Dhaliwal?
Dhaliwal ranks #7,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,451 people with the surname Dhaliwal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,104), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Dhaliwal.
Has Dhaliwal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dhaliwal went from 3,187 recorded bearers to 4,451. That is an increase of 1,264 (+39.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,107 to #7,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Dhaliwal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhaliwal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and White (2.4%). 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 Dhaliwal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (4,174 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dhaliwal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.8%), Two or More Races (2.4%), White (2.4%). 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 Dhaliwal (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 Dhaliwal mean?
A Punjabi Jat Sikh surname derived from the village of Dhaliwal in Punjab, India. 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 Dhaliwal (1.49 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 Dhaliwal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.