2000
#78,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 228
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Kelkar
A surname likely of Indian origin, potentially derived from a village or region name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 654 Americans carry the last name Kelkar. That puts it at #41,199 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 524,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelkar 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
654
1 in 524,089
Census rank
#41,199
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
570
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 570 bearers of the surname Kelkar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41199th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelkar
The surname "KELKAR" is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the western state of Maharashtra. It traces its roots back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 16th centuries.
The name "KELKAR" is derived from the Marathi word "kelkar," which means a person who works with bricks or a bricklayer. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely associated with the construction or masonry trade.
Historical records show that the name "KELKAR" appeared in various administrative documents and land records from the Maratha Empire, which ruled a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent between the 17th and 19th centuries. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions around Pune and Nashik, which were important centers of the Maratha Empire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "KELKAR" can be found in the Bakhars, which are historical chronicles of the Maratha Empire. These chronicles mention several individuals with the surname "KELKAR" who held prominent positions in the Maratha administration and military.
Notable individuals with the surname "KELKAR" include Nana Phadnavis (1742-1800), a prominent statesman and diplomat in the Maratha Empire, who played a crucial role in the expansion and consolidation of the empire's territories. Another notable figure was Ramchandra Ganesh Kelkar (1868-1925), a renowned writer, journalist, and social reformer who advocated for women's education and social reforms in Maharashtra.
Dajisaheb Kelkar (1825-1899) was a renowned educationist and social reformer who established several educational institutions in Maharashtra and worked towards promoting education among the underprivileged sections of society.
Narayan Ganesh Kelkar (1869-1926) was a prominent poet and writer who contributed significantly to the development of Marathi literature during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Vishnu Vaman Kelkar (1888-1960) was a renowned economist and statesman who played a pivotal role in shaping India's economic policies in the post-independence era. He served as the chairman of the Taxation Enquiry Commission and was instrumental in formulating the country's taxation policies.
The surname "KELKAR" has also been associated with various place names in Maharashtra, such as Kelkar Wadi, Kelkar Peth, and Kelkar Vasti, which were settlements or neighborhoods where families with the surname "KELKAR" resided.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelkar
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelkar 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 Kelkar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.3% · 526
- Two or more races3.9% · 22
- White3.0% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelkar
Kelkar 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
#54,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 374
+146 bearers (+64.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 23,045 places
2020
#41,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 570
+196 bearers (+52.4%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 13,791 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #78,035 | 228 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,990 | 374 | 0.13 | +146 bearers (+64.0%) | Up 23,045 places |
| 2020 | #41,199 | 570 | 0.19 | +196 bearers (+52.4%) | Up 13,791 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 Kelkar 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 | #54,990 | #41,199 | 25.1% |
| Count | 374 | 570 | 52.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.19 | 46.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelkar bearers went from 374 to 570 (+52.4% change). The surname moved up 13,791 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,990 to #41,199.
FAQ
Kelkar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelkar?
Name Census estimates that about 654 living Americans carry the surname Kelkar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 524,089 residents.
How common is Kelkar?
Kelkar ranks #41,199 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 570 people with the surname Kelkar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (654), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Kelkar.
Has Kelkar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelkar went from 374 recorded bearers to 570. That is an increase of 196 (+52.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #54,990 to #41,199.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelkar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (3.0%). 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 Kelkar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (526 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelkar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), White (3.0%). 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 Kelkar (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 Kelkar mean?
A surname likely of Indian origin, potentially derived from a village or region 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 Kelkar (0.19 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 Kelkar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.