2000
#10,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,868
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Lal
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "lal" meaning "beloved" or "dear one."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,173 Americans carry the last name Lal. That puts it at #7,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,258 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lal 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 Lal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,258
Census rank
#7,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,511 bearers of the surname Lal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lal
The surname "Lal" is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, tracing its roots back to the Sanskrit language. It is a derivative of the word "lal," which translates to "ruby" or "red." This name likely originated among various communities within the region, potentially reflecting a physical characteristic, occupation, or association with the color red.
One of the earliest known references to the surname "Lal" can be found in medieval Indian texts and records. For instance, the name is mentioned in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which provides insights into the social and economic conditions of the time.
In the late 12th century, a prominent figure named Ghiyath al-Din Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a Sufi saint and scholar, lived in the region of Sindh, now part of modern-day Pakistan. His legacy and teachings contributed to the spread and recognition of the surname within the region.
Another notable individual bearing the surname "Lal" was Hari Lal, a Hindu poet and writer who lived in the 17th century. He authored several works in the Braj Bhasha language, including the poetic composition "Satsai," which gained widespread acclaim during his lifetime.
In the realm of Indian classical music, the name "Lal" has been associated with several renowned musicians. One such figure was Lal Bahadur Shastri, a renowned vocalist and proponent of the Agra gharana, who lived from 1857 to 1929. His contributions to the preservation and promotion of traditional Indian music have been widely recognized.
During the British colonial period in India, the surname "Lal" also appeared in various administrative records and documents. For example, Lal Bahadur Shastri, an influential political leader who served as the second Prime Minister of independent India from 1964 to 1966, bore this surname.
Over the centuries, the surname "Lal" has been present across various regions of the Indian subcontinent, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring in different linguistic and cultural contexts. The name has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, musicians, poets, and political figures, reflecting the rich tapestry of Indian history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lal
Among Census respondents with the surname Lal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lal 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 Lal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.5% · 3,856
- Two or more races5.1% · 232
- White4.7% · 212
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 125
- Black or African American1.4% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lal
Lal 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
#8,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,997
+1,129 bearers (+39.4%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 2,006 places
2020
#7,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,511
+514 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 1,153 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,294 | 2,868 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,288 | 3,997 | 1.36 | +1,129 bearers (+39.4%) | Up 2,006 places |
| 2020 | #7,135 | 4,511 | 1.51 | +514 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 1,153 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 Lal 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 | #8,288 | #7,135 | 13.9% |
| Count | 3,997 | 4,511 | 12.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.51 | 11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lal bearers went from 3,997 to 4,511 (+12.9% change). The surname moved up 1,153 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,288 to #7,135.
FAQ
Lal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lal?
Name Census estimates that about 5,173 living Americans carry the surname Lal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,258 residents.
How common is Lal?
Lal ranks #7,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,511 people with the surname Lal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lal.
Has Lal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lal went from 3,997 recorded bearers to 4,511. That is an increase of 514 (+12.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,288 to #7,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Lal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and White (4.7%). 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 Lal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (3,856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.5%), Two or More Races (5.1%), White (4.7%). 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 Lal (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 Lal mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "lal" meaning "beloved" or "dear one." 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 Lal (1.51 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 last name Lal?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Lal? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.