2010
#26,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 928
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Ghimire
An occupational surname referring to one who works with livestock or a shepherd.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,053 Americans carry the last name Ghimire. That puts it at #11,332 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ghimire 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 Ghimire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 112,268
Census rank
#11,332
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,662 bearers of the surname Ghimire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11332nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghimire, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ghimire
The surname Ghimire has its roots in Nepal, originating from the Nepalese language. It is believed to have first appeared around the 14th century, during the reign of the Malla kings in the Kathmandu Valley.
The name Ghimire is thought to be derived from the Newari word "ghimiri," which means "a person who deals in ghee (clarified butter)." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in the trade or production of ghee, an essential commodity in the region's cuisine and religious rituals.
In ancient Nepalese records, the name Ghimire can be found in various forms, such as "Ghimiri," "Ghemire," and "Ghemiri." These variations were likely due to regional dialects and changes in spelling conventions over time.
One of the earliest known references to the name Ghimire can be found in the "Vamshavali," a historical chronicle of the Malla dynasty, which mentions a person named Jayaghimire in the 16th century. This individual was a prominent figure in the court of King Siddhi Narsingh Malla, who ruled over the Patan region of the Kathmandu Valley.
Another notable figure in Nepalese history with the surname Ghimire was Kaji Kalu Ghimire, a military commander who lived in the 18th century. He played a crucial role in the unification of Nepal under the leadership of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of the Shah dynasty.
In the 19th century, Kaji Bhimsen Ghimire was a prominent statesman and military leader who served as the prime minister of Nepal during the reign of King Rajendra Bikram Shah. His contributions to the modernization and centralization of the Nepalese government were significant.
The name Ghimire has also been associated with various place names in Nepal, such as Ghimire Gaun (Ghimire Village) and Ghimire Tole (Ghimire Neighborhood), further indicating the historical presence and influence of this surname in the region.
Throughout the centuries, the Ghimire family has produced numerous scholars, artists, and writers, including the acclaimed poet and playwright Laxmi Prasad Ghimire, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In summary, the surname Ghimire has a rich history rooted in the cultural and social fabric of Nepal, dating back to the 14th century. Its origins are tied to the trade and production of ghee, an essential commodity in the region, and the name has been associated with notable figures, places, and literary works throughout Nepalese history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ghimire
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghimire, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ghimire 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 Ghimire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.5% · 2,595
- White1.1% · 28
- Two or more races0.9% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ghimire
Ghimire 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
#11,332
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
+1,734 bearers (+186.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 14,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #26,313 | 928 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #11,332 | 2,662 | 0.89 | +1,734 bearers (+186.9%) | Up 14,981 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 Ghimire 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 | #26,313 | #11,332 | 56.9% |
| Count | 928 | 2,662 | 186.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.89 | 187.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ghimire bearers went from 928 to 2,662 (+186.9% change). The surname moved up 14,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,313 to #11,332.
FAQ
Ghimire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ghimire?
Name Census estimates that about 3,053 living Americans carry the surname Ghimire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,268 residents.
How common is Ghimire?
Ghimire ranks #11,332 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,662 people with the surname Ghimire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,053), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Ghimire.
Has Ghimire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ghimire went from 928 recorded bearers to 2,662. That is an increase of 1,734 (+186.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,313 to #11,332.
What does the Census say about the background of Ghimire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghimire, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.1%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Ghimire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (2,595 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ghimire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.5%), White (1.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Ghimire (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 Ghimire mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who works with livestock or a shepherd. 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 Ghimire (0.89 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 are called Ghimire?
You can see how many people have the surname Ghimire on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.