2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kanwal
A surname of Sanskrit origin meaning lotus or water lily.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 452 Americans carry the last name Kanwal. That puts it at #56,084 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 758,306 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kanwal 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 Kanwal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
452
1 in 758,306
Census rank
#56,084
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
394
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 394 bearers of the surname Kanwal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 56084th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanwal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and White (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanwal
Kanwal is a surname that originated from the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the areas that are now part of modern-day Pakistan and northern India. The name is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit language, where "Kanwal" is derived from the word "Kamala," meaning lotus flower.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kanwal can be traced back to medieval times, with mentions in various historical documents and manuscripts from the region. One notable reference is found in the 16th-century Mughal court records, where a nobleman named Kanwal Singh is documented as serving under the reign of Akbar the Great.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Kanwal surname gained prominence among the ruling elite and land-owning classes in the Punjab region, which was then part of the Mughal Empire. Several notable figures bearing the surname emerged during this period, including Kanwal Nath, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the late 17th century.
In the 19th century, as the British colonial rule expanded in the Indian subcontinent, the Kanwal surname became more widespread, with members of the family holding influential positions in various fields, such as administration, military, and education. One prominent figure was Sir Kanwal Kishan Puri (1856-1931), a distinguished lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court.
Another notable individual was Kanwal Kishore Lal (1870-1942), a pioneering Indian Civil Service officer who played a pivotal role in the development of irrigation systems and infrastructure in the Punjab region.
During the 20th century, the Kanwal surname continued to gain recognition, with several individuals making significant contributions in various fields. One such figure was Kanwal Rekhi (born 1935), an Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist who played a crucial role in the development of the Silicon Valley technology industry.
It is important to note that while the surname Kanwal has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical roots and earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the regions now known as Pakistan and northern India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanwal
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanwal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and White (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanwal 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 Kanwal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.2% · 375
- Two or more races2.8% · 11
- White2.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanwal
Kanwal 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
#83,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 225
+112 bearers (+99.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 53,242 places
2020
#56,084
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 394
+169 bearers (+75.1%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 27,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #83,541 | 225 | 0.08 | +112 bearers (+99.1%) | Up 53,242 places |
| 2020 | #56,084 | 394 | 0.13 | +169 bearers (+75.1%) | Up 27,457 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 Kanwal 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 | #83,541 | #56,084 | 32.9% |
| Count | 225 | 394 | 75.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.13 | 64.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanwal bearers went from 225 to 394 (+75.1% change). The surname moved up 27,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #83,541 to #56,084.
FAQ
Kanwal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanwal?
Name Census estimates that about 452 living Americans carry the surname Kanwal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 758,306 residents.
How common is Kanwal?
Kanwal ranks #56,084 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 394 people with the surname Kanwal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (452), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kanwal.
Has Kanwal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanwal went from 225 recorded bearers to 394. That is an increase of 169 (+75.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #83,541 to #56,084.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanwal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanwal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and White (2.0%). 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 Kanwal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (375 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanwal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%), White (2.0%). 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 Kanwal (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 Kanwal mean?
A surname of Sanskrit origin meaning lotus or water lily. 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 Kanwal (0.13 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 Kanwal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.