2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Khaton
A surname derived from the title "Khan", indicating a ruler or nobility.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Khaton. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khaton 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Khaton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khaton, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khaton
The surname Khaton originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and modern-day Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries. The name is derived from the Persian word "khatan," which means "silk" or "silk manufacturer."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian poet and scholar, Amir Khusrow, who lived from 1253 to 1325 CE. He mentioned a silk merchant named Khaton in his literary works, suggesting that the surname was already in use during that era.
The Khaton surname was particularly prevalent in the region of Punjab, which was a major center for silk production and trade during the Mughal Empire. The name was often associated with families involved in the silk industry, either as weavers, merchants, or traders.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Khwaja Khaton rose to prominence as a courtier and advisor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He played a significant role in the administration of the empire and is mentioned in several historical records from that time.
Another prominent individual with the surname Khaton was Mirza Muhammad Khaton, who lived during the 17th century. He was a renowned poet and scholar from the city of Lahore, and his works have been preserved in various literary anthologies.
During the 18th century, the Khaton family gained prominence in the city of Multan, which was a thriving center for textile production and trade. One of the most renowned members of this family was Hafiz Muhammad Khaton, who was a respected Islamic scholar and wrote several treatises on religious subjects.
In the 19th century, the Khaton surname was found in various parts of northern India and Pakistan, including cities like Delhi, Lucknow, and Peshawar. One notable individual was Sir Khwaja Khaton, who served as a high-ranking official in the British Indian government and was knighted for his services.
Throughout its history, the surname Khaton has been associated with individuals involved in the silk industry, as well as scholars, poets, and government officials. While the name has its roots in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khaton
Among Census respondents with the surname Khaton, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Khaton 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 Khaton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.3% · 83
- Black or African American16.0% · 17
- White2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khaton
Khaton 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
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-17 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,890 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 15,890 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 Khaton 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 | #136,449 | #152,339 | -11.6% |
| Count | 123 | 106 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khaton bearers went from 123 to 106 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 15,890 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #152,339.
FAQ
Khaton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khaton?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Khaton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Khaton?
Khaton ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 106 people with the surname Khaton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Khaton.
Has Khaton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khaton went from 123 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Khaton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khaton, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and White (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 Khaton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khaton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.3%), Black (16.0%), White (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 Khaton (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 Khaton mean?
A surname derived from the title "Khan", indicating a ruler or nobility. 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 Khaton (0.04 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 are called Khaton?
Find out how common the surname Khaton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.