2000
#27,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Ganesh
A surname likely derived from the Hindu deity, Lord Ganesh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,741 Americans carry the last name Ganesh. That puts it at #12,407 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,047 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ganesh 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 Ganesh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 125,047
Census rank
#12,407
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,390 bearers of the surname Ganesh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12407th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganesh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and White (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ganesh
The surname Ganesh originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Hindu religion and mythology. It is derived from the name of the elephant-headed Hindu deity, Lord Ganesha, who is widely revered as the remover of obstacles and the patron of arts and sciences.
Ganesh is a Sanskrit word that can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Puranas and the Vedas. The name is believed to have been in use for centuries, with references to Lord Ganesha found in manuscripts and inscriptions dating back to the 4th century CE.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ganesh can be found in the Chalukya dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 12th centuries CE. Several inscriptions from this period mention individuals bearing the name Ganesh, often in association with their devotion to Lord Ganesha.
In the medieval period, the name Ganesh gained popularity among Hindu communities across India. It was particularly prevalent in regions where the worship of Lord Ganesha was deeply rooted, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. The name was often bestowed upon individuals as a mark of reverence and gratitude to the deity.
Notable historical figures with the surname Ganesh include Ganesh Udayar (1550-1625), a Tamil philosopher and scholar who authored several works on Hinduism and Saivism. Another noteworthy individual was Ganesh Damodar Madgavkar (1827-1920), a Marathi social reformer and educationist who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Fergusson College in Pune.
Ganesh Ramchandra Bhargava (1892-1967) was a prominent freedom fighter and social activist in the Indian independence movement. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of society.
The name Ganesh has also been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Ganeshpur, Ganeshkhind, and Ganeshpuri, which are towns or localities named after Lord Ganesha or his devotees.
While the surname Ganesh has its origins in Hindu mythology and culture, it has transcended religious boundaries and is now found among diverse communities across India and beyond, reflecting the rich heritage and diversity of the subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ganesh
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganesh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and White (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ganesh 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 Ganesh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander82.6% · 1,975
- Black or African American5.9% · 142
- White5.0% · 119
- Two or more races3.4% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ganesh
Ganesh 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
#18,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,512
+679 bearers (+81.5%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 8,963 places
2020
#12,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,390
+878 bearers (+58.1%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 5,919 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #27,289 | 833 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,326 | 1,512 | 0.51 | +679 bearers (+81.5%) | Up 8,963 places |
| 2020 | #12,407 | 2,390 | 0.80 | +878 bearers (+58.1%) | Up 5,919 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 Ganesh 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 | #18,326 | #12,407 | 32.3% |
| Count | 1,512 | 2,390 | 58.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.80 | 56.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ganesh bearers went from 1,512 to 2,390 (+58.1% change). The surname moved up 5,919 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,326 to #12,407.
FAQ
Ganesh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ganesh?
Name Census estimates that about 2,741 living Americans carry the surname Ganesh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,047 residents.
How common is Ganesh?
Ganesh ranks #12,407 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,390 people with the surname Ganesh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,741), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Ganesh.
Has Ganesh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ganesh went from 1,512 recorded bearers to 2,390. That is an increase of 878 (+58.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,326 to #12,407.
What does the Census say about the background of Ganesh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ganesh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and White (5.0%). 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 Ganesh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (1,975 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ganesh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (82.6%), Black (5.9%), White (5.0%). 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 Ganesh (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 Ganesh mean?
A surname likely derived from the Hindu deity, Lord Ganesh. 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 Ganesh (0.80 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 Ganesh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.