2010
#67,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 293
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Dhungel
A Nepali surname derived from the word 'dhungel' meaning a small hill or hillock.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 826 Americans carry the last name Dhungel. That puts it at #33,969 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 414,957 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dhungel 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.
Bearers in the US
826
1 in 414,957
Census rank
#33,969
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
720
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 720 bearers of the surname Dhungel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33969th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhungel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dhungel
The surname DHUNGEL is believed to have originated in Nepal, with its roots tracing back several centuries. It is derived from the Nepali word "dhungo," which means stone or rock, and the suffix "-el," indicating a place or location. Thus, DHUNGEL likely referred to individuals who hailed from or lived in areas abundant with stones or rocky terrain.
Early records indicate that the DHUNGEL surname was prevalent among the Chhetri caste, a warrior community known for their bravery and military service. The name is often associated with the hilly regions of Nepal, particularly the districts of Baglung, Parbat, and Myagdi, where many families bearing this surname have traditionally resided.
One of the earliest documented references to the DHUNGEL name can be found in the Gorkhali military records from the late 18th century. During the unification campaigns led by Prithvi Narayan Shah, several DHUNGEL individuals were noted for their courage and loyalty on the battlefield.
Notable figures with the DHUNGEL surname include:
1. Kamal Dhungel (1915-1992), a prominent Nepali writer and poet, renowned for his contributions to modern Nepali literature.
2. Shiv Kumari Dhungel (1885-1975), a social activist and pioneer in women's education in Nepal, who established the first girls' school in Kathmandu.
3. Bhupi Sherchan Dhungel (1936-2017), a respected politician and diplomat, who served as Nepal's ambassador to several countries, including the United States.
4. Uttam Dhungel (1919-2002), a renowned historian and scholar, known for his comprehensive work on the history of Nepal.
5. Dipak Dhungel (born 1971), a celebrated Nepali journalist and writer, recognized for his investigative reporting and human rights advocacy.
The DHUNGEL surname has also been associated with various place names across Nepal, such as Dhungeldhara, a village in the Kavrepalanchok district, and Dhungelsanghu, a region in the Lalitpur district. These place names likely originated from the presence of DHUNGEL families in those areas or were named after prominent individuals bearing the surname.
While the DHUNGEL name continues to be predominantly found in Nepal, it has also gained a presence in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical roots and significance of this surname remain deeply tied to the rugged landscapes and rich cultural heritage of Nepal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dhungel
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhungel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dhungel 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 Dhungel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.4% · 701
- White1.3% · 9
- Two or more races0.8% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dhungel
Dhungel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#33,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 720
+427 bearers (+145.7%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 33,349 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #67,318 | 293 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #33,969 | 720 | 0.24 | +427 bearers (+145.7%) | Up 33,349 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 Dhungel 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 | #67,318 | #33,969 | 49.5% |
| Count | 293 | 720 | 145.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.24 | 140.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dhungel bearers went from 293 to 720 (+145.7% change). The surname moved up 33,349 positions in the national ranking, going from #67,318 to #33,969.
FAQ
Dhungel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dhungel?
Name Census estimates that about 826 living Americans carry the surname Dhungel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 414,957 residents.
How common is Dhungel?
Dhungel ranks #33,969 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 720 people with the surname Dhungel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (826), 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 Dhungel.
Has Dhungel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dhungel went from 293 recorded bearers to 720. That is an increase of 427 (+145.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #67,318 to #33,969.
What does the Census say about the background of Dhungel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dhungel, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Dhungel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (701 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dhungel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.4%), White (1.3%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Dhungel (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 Dhungel mean?
A Nepali surname derived from the word 'dhungel' meaning a small hill or hillock. 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 Dhungel (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 common is the surname Dhungel?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dhungel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.