2010
#25,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 981
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Khadka
An occupational surname referring to a person from the indigenous Khadka group or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,041 Americans carry the last name Khadka. That puts it at #8,914 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,819 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khadka 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 Khadka with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 84,819
Census rank
#8,914
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,524 bearers of the surname Khadka in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8914th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khadka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khadka
The surname Khadka originated in Nepal, with its earliest known references dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "khadga," which means sword or khukuri, a traditional Nepalese knife. The name is believed to have been given to individuals who were skilled in wielding these weapons or who worked as blacksmiths or arms manufacturers.
Khadka is a relatively common surname among the Brahmin and Chhetri communities of Nepal. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in ancient manuscripts and historical documents from the Malla and Shah dynasties that ruled various parts of Nepal during that period.
One notable historical figure bearing the Khadka surname was Kalu Khadka, a prominent military commander who served under King Prithvi Narayan Shah in the late 18th century. He played a crucial role in the unification of Nepal and the establishment of the Shah dynasty's rule over the entire country.
Another famous Khadka was Bhim Khadka, a renowned poet and lyricist who lived during the 19th century. His works, which celebrated Nepalese culture and traditions, are still widely read and studied today.
In the early 20th century, Ganga Khadka, a social reformer and advocate for women's rights, made significant contributions to the advancement of education and gender equality in Nepal.
Dhir Khadka, born in 1932, was a renowned Nepali actor and playwright who played a pivotal role in the development of Nepali theater. His works often explored social and political themes relevant to the times.
More recently, Rajesh Khadka, born in 1974, is a prominent Nepali businessman and entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the country's economy through his various ventures.
While the surname Khadka is predominantly found in Nepal, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Nepal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khadka
Among Census respondents with the surname Khadka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Khadka 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 Khadka surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.1% · 3,421
- White1.2% · 41
- Two or more races0.9% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 19
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khadka
Khadka appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#8,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,524
+2,543 bearers (+259.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 16,341 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #25,255 | 981 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #8,914 | 3,524 | 1.18 | +2,543 bearers (+259.2%) | Up 16,341 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 Khadka 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 | #25,255 | #8,914 | 64.7% |
| Count | 981 | 3,524 | 259.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 1.18 | 257.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khadka bearers went from 981 to 3,524 (+259.2% change). The surname moved up 16,341 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,255 to #8,914.
FAQ
Khadka surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khadka?
Name Census estimates that about 4,041 living Americans carry the surname Khadka. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,819 residents.
How common is Khadka?
Khadka ranks #8,914 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 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 3,524 people with the surname Khadka. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 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 Khadka.
Has Khadka become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khadka went from 981 recorded bearers to 3,524. That is an increase of 2,543 (+259.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,255 to #8,914.
What does the Census say about the background of Khadka?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khadka, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.2%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Khadka in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (3,421 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khadka appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.1%), White (1.2%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Khadka (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 Khadka mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person from the indigenous Khadka group or region. 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 Khadka (1.18 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 surname Khadka?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.