2000
#25,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 900
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Dutta
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "dutta," meaning "given" or "granted."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,778 Americans carry the last name Dutta. That puts it at #9,447 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,724 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dutta 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 Dutta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,724
Census rank
#9,447
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,295 bearers of the surname Dutta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9447th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dutta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dutta
The surname Dutta has its origins in India, tracing back to the ancient Sanskrit language. It is believed to have been derived from the word "dutta," meaning "messenger" or "envoy." This name was likely adopted by individuals who served as messengers or envoys in the past.
The earliest records of the Dutta surname can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts dating back to the 5th century BCE. It was mentioned in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, which recounts the story of a great war and the events leading up to it.
During the medieval period, the Dutta surname was particularly prevalent in the eastern regions of India, including the states of Bengal, Assam, and Odisha. Historical records from the 12th century mention Duttas serving as ministers and advisors to various kings and rulers in these regions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Dutta surname was Shri Ananta Dutta, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Bengal and is remembered for his contributions to Sanskrit literature.
Another notable figure was Pandit Iswar Chandra Dutta, a distinguished writer, educator, and social reformer from Bengal in the 19th century (1829-1900). He played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance and advocated for the education of women and the abolition of social evils.
In the 20th century, the Dutta surname gained further recognition with individuals like Bhanu Dutta (1888-1948), a renowned writer and journalist from Assam who contributed immensely to the development of Assamese literature and language.
Nalinaksha Dutta (1919-2011), a prominent Indian freedom fighter and politician, also carried the Dutta surname. He played an active role in the Indian independence movement and served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Lastly, Soumitra Dutta (1944-2022) was a renowned Indian economist and professor who served as the founder and president of the Portulans Institute, a non-profit research institute focused on innovation and competitiveness.
The Dutta surname has a rich history and has been associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries, particularly in the fields of literature, education, social reform, and politics in India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dutta
Among Census respondents with the surname Dutta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dutta 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 Dutta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.0% · 3,032
- White3.3% · 110
- Two or more races3.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 24
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dutta
Dutta 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
#15,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,948
+1,048 bearers (+116.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 10,584 places
2020
#9,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,295
+1,347 bearers (+69.1%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 5,693 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,724 | 900 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,140 | 1,948 | 0.66 | +1,048 bearers (+116.4%) | Up 10,584 places |
| 2020 | #9,447 | 3,295 | 1.10 | +1,347 bearers (+69.1%) | Up 5,693 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 Dutta 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 | #15,140 | #9,447 | 37.6% |
| Count | 1,948 | 3,295 | 69.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 1.10 | 67.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dutta bearers went from 1,948 to 3,295 (+69.1% change). The surname moved up 5,693 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,140 to #9,447.
FAQ
Dutta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dutta?
Name Census estimates that about 3,778 living Americans carry the surname Dutta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,724 residents.
How common is Dutta?
Dutta ranks #9,447 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,295 people with the surname Dutta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,778), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Dutta.
Has Dutta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dutta went from 1,948 recorded bearers to 3,295. That is an increase of 1,347 (+69.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,140 to #9,447.
What does the Census say about the background of Dutta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dutta, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Dutta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,032 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dutta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.0%), White (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Dutta (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 Dutta mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "dutta," meaning "given" or "granted." 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 Dutta (1.10 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 Americans have the surname Dutta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.