2000
#104,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Kotak
A surname of Indian origin meaning treasury or strongbox.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 339 Americans carry the last name Kotak. That puts it at #71,105 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,011,075 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kotak 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 Kotak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
339
1 in 1,011,075
Census rank
#71,105
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
296
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 296 bearers of the surname Kotak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 71105th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kotak
The surname Kotak is believed to have originated in India, with its roots tracing back several centuries. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "koshtha," which means "treasury" or "granary." It is thought to have initially referred to individuals who were involved in managing or overseeing financial affairs or granaries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kotak can be found in ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts, where it was used to identify individuals associated with financial or administrative roles. The name gained prominence during the medieval period in various parts of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions like Gujarat and Maharashtra.
In the 16th century, the surname Kotak appeared in several historical records and documents related to trade and commerce. One notable example is the mention of a merchant named Shyam Kotak, who was involved in the flourishing spice trade between India and Europe during the reign of the Mughal Empire.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Kotak name became more widespread as members of this family established themselves as successful traders and businessmen. One prominent figure from this era was Ratan Kotak, a wealthy merchant from Gujarat who funded the construction of several temples and educational institutions in the region.
In the 19th century, the Kotak surname gained further recognition with the emergence of notable figures like Narottam Kotak, a renowned scholar and educator who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement alongside leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. Narottam Kotak was born in 1875 and dedicated his life to promoting education and social reform.
Another significant individual with the Kotak surname was Laxmi Kotak, a pioneering woman entrepreneur who established one of the first textile mills owned and operated by a woman in India. Laxmi Kotak, born in 1892, challenged societal norms and paved the way for women's empowerment in business and industry.
In more recent times, the Kotak name has been associated with successful business ventures and prominent individuals in various fields. One such example is Uday Kotak, the founder and executive vice-chairman of Kotak Mahindra Bank, one of India's leading private sector banks. Uday Kotak, born in 1959, is widely recognized as a visionary entrepreneur and a respected figure in the Indian financial sector.
While the surname Kotak has its origins in India, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical roots and significance of this name can be traced back to the Indian subcontinent, where it has played a significant role in shaping the country's cultural and economic landscape over several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kotak
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kotak 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 Kotak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.4% · 232
- White14.9% · 44
- Two or more races4.4% · 13
- Black or African American1.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kotak
Kotak 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
#89,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
+48 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 14,854 places
2020
#71,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 296
+89 bearers (+43.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 18,298 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #104,257 | 159 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,403 | 207 | 0.07 | +48 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 14,854 places |
| 2020 | #71,105 | 296 | 0.10 | +89 bearers (+43.0%) | Up 18,298 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 Kotak 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 | #89,403 | #71,105 | 20.5% |
| Count | 207 | 296 | 43.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.10 | 41.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kotak bearers went from 207 to 296 (+43.0% change). The surname moved up 18,298 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,403 to #71,105.
FAQ
Kotak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kotak?
Name Census estimates that about 339 living Americans carry the surname Kotak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,011,075 residents.
How common is Kotak?
Kotak ranks #71,105 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 296 people with the surname Kotak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (339), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Kotak.
Has Kotak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kotak went from 207 recorded bearers to 296. That is an increase of 89 (+43.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,403 to #71,105.
What does the Census say about the background of Kotak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kotak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.4%. The next largest groups are White (14.9%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Kotak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.4% (232 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kotak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.4%), White (14.9%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Kotak (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 Kotak mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning treasury or strongbox. 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 Kotak (0.10 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 Kotak?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.