2000
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Ghosh
A Bengali surname referring to someone from the Kayastha caste, traditionally associated with scribes, administrators, and record-keepers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,838 Americans carry the last name Ghosh. That puts it at #5,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ghosh 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 Ghosh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,125
Census rank
#5,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,963 bearers of the surname Ghosh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghosh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ghosh
The surname Ghosh originated in the Bengal region of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Ghosha," which means "sound" or "voice." The name is thought to have emerged as early as the 8th century CE, when it was likely used to identify individuals or families involved in occupations related to sound or voice, such as singers, orators, or musicians.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ghosh can be found in the Dhanapati Inscription, a Sanskrit inscription dating back to the 10th century CE. This inscription mentions a person named Ghosha, who is believed to have been a member of the Brahmin caste and a scholar of Sanskrit grammar.
During the medieval period, the Ghosh surname was particularly prevalent in the region of Bengal, which was ruled by various Hindu and Muslim dynasties. Several notable individuals bearing this surname emerged during this time, including Jadunath Ghosh (1537-1612), a renowned Bengali poet and composer, and Ramkrishna Ghosh (1649-1721), a prominent scholar and writer.
As the British colonial rule expanded in India, the surname Ghosh became more widely documented in official records. One notable figure from this era was Aurobindo Ghosh (1872-1950), a revolutionary turned spiritual leader and philosopher, who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
In the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Ghosh made significant contributions to various fields. These include Jagadish Chandra Ghosh (1887-1959), a chemist and physicist known for his work on the Raman effect, and Naresh Chandra Ghosh (1909-1992), a renowned sculptor and artist who played a pivotal role in the development of modern Indian art.
Other notable individuals with the surname Ghosh include Birendranath Ghosh (1907-1983), a celebrated Bengali novelist and playwright, and Shanti Swarupa Ghosh (1913-2005), a renowned educationist and social reformer who worked towards the empowerment of women in India.
Overall, the surname Ghosh has a rich history and cultural significance in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the region of Bengal. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit roots, and it has been associated with various occupations, social classes, and intellectual pursuits throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ghosh
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghosh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ghosh 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 Ghosh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.2% · 5,436
- White3.8% · 224
- Two or more races3.6% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 38
- Black or African American0.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ghosh
Ghosh 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
#8,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,666
+1,589 bearers (+76.5%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Up 4,512 places
2020
#5,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,963
+2,297 bearers (+62.7%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Up 3,310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,440 | 2,077 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,928 | 3,666 | 1.24 | +1,589 bearers (+76.5%) | Up 4,512 places |
| 2020 | #5,618 | 5,963 | 1.99 | +2,297 bearers (+62.7%) | Up 3,310 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 Ghosh 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 | #8,928 | #5,618 | 37.1% |
| Count | 3,666 | 5,963 | 62.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.24 | 1.99 | 60.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ghosh bearers went from 3,666 to 5,963 (+62.7% change). The surname moved up 3,310 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,928 to #5,618.
FAQ
Ghosh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ghosh?
Name Census estimates that about 6,838 living Americans carry the surname Ghosh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,125 residents.
How common is Ghosh?
Ghosh ranks #5,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,963 people with the surname Ghosh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ghosh.
Has Ghosh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ghosh went from 3,666 recorded bearers to 5,963. That is an increase of 2,297 (+62.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,928 to #5,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Ghosh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ghosh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Ghosh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (5,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ghosh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.2%), White (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Ghosh (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 Ghosh mean?
A Bengali surname referring to someone from the Kayastha caste, traditionally associated with scribes, administrators, and record-keepers. 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 Ghosh (1.99 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 Ghosh?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Ghosh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.