2000
#31,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 696
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Kalra
A Hindu surname of North Indian origin, derived from a village or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,111 Americans carry the last name Kalra. That puts it at #15,346 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,366 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kalra 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 Kalra with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 162,366
Census rank
#15,346
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,841 bearers of the surname Kalra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15346th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kalra
The surname KALRA is of Indian origin, originating from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Kalra," which means "maker of arts or crafts." The name is associated with the Khatri caste, a community historically known for their expertise in various crafts and trades.
The KALRA surname can be traced back to the medieval period in India, with records indicating its presence in various historical documents and manuscripts. One notable mention is found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which lists individuals with the surname KALRA among the skilled artisans and merchants of the time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KALRA was Shri Ram Kalra, a renowned jeweler and goldsmith who lived in the city of Delhi during the 17th century. His intricate craftsmanship was highly sought after by the Mughal nobility and his work can be found in various historical collections and museums.
In the 18th century, the KALRA family played a significant role in the textile trade in the region of Punjab. Prominent members of the family included Lala Devi Dayal Kalra and Lala Thakar Dass Kalra, who established successful textile businesses and contributed to the economic prosperity of the region.
During the 19th century, the KALRA surname gained prominence in the field of education and literature. Pandit Shri Kishen Lal Kalra, born in 1845, was a renowned scholar and writer who authored several books on Sanskrit literature and Hindu philosophy. His works are still widely studied and revered in academic circles.
Another notable figure from this era was Lala Munshi Ram Kalra, a pioneering journalist and social reformer. Born in 1857, he founded the influential newspaper "Akhbar-e-Aam" and played a crucial role in raising awareness about social issues and advocating for educational reforms.
As the KALRA surname spread across different regions of India, it became associated with various professions and fields, including business, law, medicine, and the arts. Throughout history, individuals bearing this surname have made significant contributions to their respective domains, cementing the KALRA legacy as one of the prominent Indian surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalra
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kalra 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 Kalra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.5% · 1,684
- White3.7% · 69
- Two or more races2.8% · 52
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 20
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kalra
Kalra 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
#21,429
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,220
+524 bearers (+75.3%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 10,035 places
2020
#15,346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,841
+621 bearers (+50.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 6,083 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,464 | 696 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,429 | 1,220 | 0.41 | +524 bearers (+75.3%) | Up 10,035 places |
| 2020 | #15,346 | 1,841 | 0.62 | +621 bearers (+50.9%) | Up 6,083 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 Kalra 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 | #21,429 | #15,346 | 28.4% |
| Count | 1,220 | 1,841 | 50.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.62 | 50.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kalra bearers went from 1,220 to 1,841 (+50.9% change). The surname moved up 6,083 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,429 to #15,346.
FAQ
Kalra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kalra?
Name Census estimates that about 2,111 living Americans carry the surname Kalra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,366 residents.
How common is Kalra?
Kalra ranks #15,346 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,841 people with the surname Kalra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Kalra.
Has Kalra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kalra went from 1,220 recorded bearers to 1,841. That is an increase of 621 (+50.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,429 to #15,346.
What does the Census say about the background of Kalra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kalra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Kalra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,684 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kalra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.5%), White (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Kalra (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 Kalra mean?
A Hindu surname of North Indian origin, derived from a village or place name. 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 Kalra (0.62 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 have the last name Kalra?
You can see how many people have the last name Kalra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.