2000
#48,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Gautam
A surname originating from the Sanskrit name Gautama, meaning "descendant of the sage Gautama".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,350 Americans carry the last name Gautam. That puts it at #8,355 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gautam 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 Gautam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 78,794
Census rank
#8,355
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,793 bearers of the surname Gautam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8355th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gautam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gautam
The surname Gautam is of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "Gautama," which means "a descendant of the sage Gautama." The name traces its roots back to ancient India, where it was associated with the renowned sage and philosopher Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.
The earliest known records of the name Gautam can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, dating back to the 6th century BCE. Gautama Buddha, whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautama, lived during this period and is considered one of the most influential figures in world history.
In the centuries that followed, the name Gautam became prevalent among various communities and regions within the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. It was often associated with people who claimed descent from the sage Gautama or followed the teachings of Buddhism.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Gautam can be found in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, where a character named Gautama is mentioned as a renowned sage and teacher. Additionally, the name appears in various inscriptions and manuscripts from medieval India, further solidifying its historical significance.
Over the course of Indian history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Gautam. Among them are Chanakya (350-275 BCE), a renowned philosopher, teacher, and adviser to the Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya; Maharshi Gautama, a legendary sage and author of the Nyaya Sutras, a foundational text in Hindu philosophy; and Gautama Siddhartha, better known as Gautama Buddha (563-483 BCE), the spiritual teacher and founder of Buddhism.
Other notable individuals with the surname Gautam include Rahul Gautam, an Indian cricketer who represented India in the early 2000s; Sampooran Singh Kalra, also known as Gulzar Gautam (1934-1997), a renowned Urdu poet, lyricist, and writer; and Govind Vallabh Pant Gautam (1887-1951), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who served as the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
The surname Gautam has been prevalent across various regions of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Punjab, among others. It has also been adopted by people from different communities and faiths, reflecting the cultural diversity and rich heritage of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gautam
Among Census respondents with the surname Gautam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gautam 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 Gautam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.2% · 3,611
- White2.2% · 83
- Two or more races1.3% · 51
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gautam
Gautam 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
#17,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,568
+1,162 bearers (+286.2%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 30,937 places
2020
#8,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,793
+2,225 bearers (+141.9%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 9,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,776 | 406 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,839 | 1,568 | 0.53 | +1,162 bearers (+286.2%) | Up 30,937 places |
| 2020 | #8,355 | 3,793 | 1.27 | +2,225 bearers (+141.9%) | Up 9,484 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 Gautam 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 | #17,839 | #8,355 | 53.2% |
| Count | 1,568 | 3,793 | 141.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 1.27 | 139.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gautam bearers went from 1,568 to 3,793 (+141.9% change). The surname moved up 9,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,839 to #8,355.
FAQ
Gautam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gautam?
Name Census estimates that about 4,350 living Americans carry the surname Gautam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,794 residents.
How common is Gautam?
Gautam ranks #8,355 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,793 people with the surname Gautam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,350), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Gautam.
Has Gautam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gautam went from 1,568 recorded bearers to 3,793. That is an increase of 2,225 (+141.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,839 to #8,355.
What does the Census say about the background of Gautam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gautam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Gautam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (3,611 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gautam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.2%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Gautam (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 Gautam mean?
A surname originating from the Sanskrit name Gautama, meaning "descendant of the sage Gautama". 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 Gautam (1.27 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 Gautam?
You can see how many people are called Gautam on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.