2000
#20,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,237
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Kothari
A surname of Indian origin referring to a community of traders, merchants, and moneylenders.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,140 Americans carry the last name Kothari. That puts it at #11,073 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,157 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kothari 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 Kothari with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,157
Census rank
#11,073
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,738 bearers of the surname Kothari in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11073rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kothari, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kothari
The surname Kothari is believed to have originated in India, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is a Hindu name derived from the Sanskrit word "Kothri," which means a treasury or a storehouse. The surname was initially associated with people who worked as treasurers, accountants, or bankers, playing a crucial role in managing finances and wealth.
The Kothari name has its earliest known origins in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, particularly in the cities of Jaipur and Jodhpur, where it was prevalent among the merchant and banking communities. Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries mention the Kothari clan as influential traders and financiers who held significant economic power in the region.
One of the earliest documented references to the Kothari surname can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a detailed administrative document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. It mentions a prominent Kothari family engaged in banking and trade activities in the imperial court.
Notable individuals from history who bore the Kothari surname include Khushali Ram Kothari (1800-1873), a renowned trader and philanthropist from Jodhpur, who built several educational institutions and temples in the city. Another prominent figure was Kalu Ram Kothari (1836-1892), a wealthy banker and merchant from Jaipur, who played a significant role in the economic development of the region.
In the 19th century, the Kothari name gained prominence in the field of education with the establishment of the Shri Nath Kothari Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya in Jaipur, founded by Shri Nath Kothari in 1876. This institution became a prominent center for the study of Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy.
Another notable Kothari was Tarachand Kothari (1872-1948), a renowned industrialist and philanthropist from Jodhpur, who founded the Tarachand Charitable Trust, which contributed significantly to the development of education and healthcare facilities in the region.
Ramkrishna Kothari (1907-1999), a distinguished sociologist and political scientist, made significant contributions to the study of Indian politics and society through his scholarly works and teachings at various prestigious institutions.
Throughout history, the Kothari surname has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including finance, trade, education, industry, and academia, reflecting the diverse roles and contributions of this community to the socio-economic and cultural fabric of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kothari
Among Census respondents with the surname Kothari, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kothari 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 Kothari surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.1% · 2,522
- White3.4% · 93
- Two or more races3.4% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 20
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kothari
Kothari 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
#14,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,071
+834 bearers (+67.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 5,628 places
2020
#11,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,738
+667 bearers (+32.2%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,055 | 1,237 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,427 | 2,071 | 0.70 | +834 bearers (+67.4%) | Up 5,628 places |
| 2020 | #11,073 | 2,738 | 0.92 | +667 bearers (+32.2%) | Up 3,354 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 Kothari 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 | #14,427 | #11,073 | 23.2% |
| Count | 2,071 | 2,738 | 32.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.92 | 30.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kothari bearers went from 2,071 to 2,738 (+32.2% change). The surname moved up 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,427 to #11,073.
FAQ
Kothari surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kothari?
Name Census estimates that about 3,140 living Americans carry the surname Kothari. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,157 residents.
How common is Kothari?
Kothari ranks #11,073 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,738 people with the surname Kothari. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,140), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Kothari.
Has Kothari become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kothari went from 2,071 recorded bearers to 2,738. That is an increase of 667 (+32.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,427 to #11,073.
What does the Census say about the background of Kothari?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kothari, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Kothari in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kothari appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.1%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Kothari (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 Kothari mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a community of traders, merchants, and moneylenders. 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 Kothari (0.92 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 share the surname Kothari?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.