2000
#31,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 706
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Very Rare Last name
Karan
A surname meaning "doer" or "maker" in Sanskrit.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 999 Americans carry the last name Karan. That puts it at #29,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 343,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karan 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.
Bearers in the US
999
1 in 343,097
Census rank
#29,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
871
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 871 bearers of the surname Karan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 29014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karan, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (42.4%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karan
The surname KARAN has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Karan," which means "doer" or "one who performs."
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas, the name Karan is associated with various characters and mythological figures. One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Karna, a legendary warrior and one of the central characters in the Mahabharata epic. He was known for his exceptional skill in archery and his loyalty to his friend, Duryodhana.
The earliest recorded instances of the KARAN surname can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various administrative records and historical documents. One notable example is the mention of a KARAN family in the chronicles of the Mughal Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent during that time.
Over the centuries, the KARAN surname has been associated with several notable individuals across various fields. One prominent figure was Karan Singh, born in 1931, who served as a diplomat and politician in India. He was the last ruling Maharaja of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and played a crucial role in the integration of the region into the Indian Union.
Another notable bearer of the KARAN surname was Karan Khanna, a renowned Indian classical musician who lived from 1936 to 2022. He was a master of the sarod, a stringed instrument, and was widely acclaimed for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of Indian classical music.
In the realm of literature, Karan Johar, born in 1972, is a prominent figure. He is a successful filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter who has made significant contributions to the Indian film industry, particularly in the realm of mainstream commercial cinema.
The KARAN surname has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations within India. For instance, the town of Karan in the state of Uttar Pradesh, as well as the Karan River, which flows through the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, bear this name.
While the surname KARAN has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical origins and significance remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karan
Among Census respondents with the surname Karan, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (42.4%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Karan 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 Karan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.0% · 444
- Asian and Pacific Islander42.4% · 369
- Black or African American2.8% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 13
- Two or more races1.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karan
Karan 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
#29,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 799
+93 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 1,557 places
2020
#29,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 871
+72 bearers (+9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,085 | 706 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,528 | 799 | 0.27 | +93 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 1,557 places |
| 2020 | #29,014 | 871 | 0.29 | +72 bearers (+9.0%) | Up 514 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 Karan 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 | #29,528 | #29,014 | 1.7% |
| Count | 799 | 871 | 9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.29 | 7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karan bearers went from 799 to 871 (+9.0% change). The surname moved up 514 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,528 to #29,014.
FAQ
Karan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karan?
Name Census estimates that about 999 living Americans carry the surname Karan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 343,097 residents.
How common is Karan?
Karan ranks #29,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 871 people with the surname Karan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (999), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Karan.
Has Karan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karan went from 799 recorded bearers to 871. That is an increase of 72 (+9.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,528 to #29,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Karan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karan, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (42.4%) and Black (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Karan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.0% (444 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (42.4%), Black (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 Karan (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 Karan mean?
A surname meaning "doer" or "maker" in Sanskrit. 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 Karan (0.29 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 Karan?
If you just want to know how common the surname Karan is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.