2000
#24,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Gulati
A surname indicating relation to Gulat, a village in Rajasthan, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,455 Americans carry the last name Gulati. That puts it at #13,564 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,615 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gulati 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 Gulati with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 139,615
Census rank
#13,564
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,141 bearers of the surname Gulati in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13564th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulati, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gulati
The surname Gulati is of Indian origin, originating from the northern regions of the country, particularly Punjab and surrounding areas. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word 'Gul', meaning flower or rose, and 'Ati', meaning superior or excellent, suggesting the name was initially given to those associated with the cultivation or trade of flowers.
The earliest known records of the Gulati name can be traced back to the 16th century, appearing in various historical manuscripts and chronicles of the Mughal Empire. One notable reference is found in the writings of the renowned Mughal historian, Abu'l-Fazl, who mentions a person named Gulati serving as a courtier during the reign of Emperor Akbar.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gulati name gained prominence in the region, with several individuals bearing this surname holding influential positions in various princely states and noble households. One prominent figure was Raja Gulati, a respected military commander who served under the Sikh ruler, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in the early 19th century.
The name Gulati has also been associated with various place names and settlements across northern India. For instance, the village of Gulati Kalan in the Amritsar district of Punjab is believed to have been named after a Gulati family that resided there.
Throughout history, several notable individuals with the Gulati surname have made significant contributions in various fields. One such person was Sardar Bahadur Sahib Gulati (1860-1936), a prominent political leader and social reformer from Punjab, who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement.
Another prominent figure was Khushwant Singh Gulati (1915-2014), a renowned Indian writer, journalist, and diplomat, best known for his novels, short stories, and non-fiction works that explored the complexities of Indian society and culture.
Additionally, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Gulati (1921-1999) was an eminent Indian physician and medical researcher who made significant contributions to the field of cardiology, particularly in the development of techniques for open-heart surgery.
In more recent times, Dr. Jagdish Gulati (1931-2012) was a renowned Indian educationist and founder of several prestigious educational institutions, including the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation.
Lastly, Piyush Gulati (born 1976) is a contemporary Indian fashion designer and entrepreneur, known for his innovative and sustainable fashion label that combines traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern design sensibilities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gulati
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulati, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Gulati 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 Gulati surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.3% · 1,890
- White5.7% · 123
- Two or more races4.1% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 24
- Black or African American0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gulati
Gulati 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
#17,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,632
+662 bearers (+68.2%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 6,901 places
2020
#13,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,141
+509 bearers (+31.2%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 3,759 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,224 | 970 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,323 | 1,632 | 0.55 | +662 bearers (+68.2%) | Up 6,901 places |
| 2020 | #13,564 | 2,141 | 0.72 | +509 bearers (+31.2%) | Up 3,759 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 Gulati 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 | #17,323 | #13,564 | 21.7% |
| Count | 1,632 | 2,141 | 31.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.72 | 30.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gulati bearers went from 1,632 to 2,141 (+31.2% change). The surname moved up 3,759 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,323 to #13,564.
FAQ
Gulati surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gulati?
Name Census estimates that about 2,455 living Americans carry the surname Gulati. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,615 residents.
How common is Gulati?
Gulati ranks #13,564 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,141 people with the surname Gulati. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,455), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Gulati.
Has Gulati become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gulati went from 1,632 recorded bearers to 2,141. That is an increase of 509 (+31.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,323 to #13,564.
What does the Census say about the background of Gulati?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gulati, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.3%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Gulati in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (1,890 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gulati appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.3%), White (5.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Gulati (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 Gulati mean?
A surname indicating relation to Gulat, a village in Rajasthan, India. 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 Gulati (0.72 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 Gulati?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.