2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Limaye
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word 'leeman' meaning 'lime' or 'citrus'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 396 Americans carry the last name Limaye. That puts it at #62,640 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 865,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Limaye 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
396
1 in 865,541
Census rank
#62,640
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
345
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 345 bearers of the surname Limaye in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62640th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Limaye, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Limaye
The surname Limaye originated in India, specifically in the western state of Maharashtra. It is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit language, with the word "Lima" meaning "border" or "boundary." The suffix "ye" is a common ending for surnames in the region, indicating a place of origin or occupation.
The name Limaye is thought to have first appeared in historical records during the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Maratha Empire was prominent in the region. Many families with this surname can trace their ancestry back to the warrior-class, known as the Maratha clan, who played a significant role in the empire's expansion and governance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Limaye can be found in the Peshwa Daftar, a collection of administrative records from the Maratha Empire. These records mention several individuals with the surname Limaye serving in various administrative and military roles during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Notable individuals with the surname Limaye include Madhukar Limaye (1922-1995), an Indian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's parliament. Another prominent figure was Raghu Limaye (1857-1943), a social reformer and educator who founded the Rashtriya Shikshan Mandal, an organization dedicated to promoting education in Maharashtra.
Vasudeo Balwant Limaye (1876-1959) was a renowned Indian physicist and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of optics and wave theory. He served as the principal of Fergusson College in Pune and was honored with the prestigious Padma Bhushan award by the Indian government.
In the field of literature, Vijay Limaye (1926-2001) was a prominent Marathi author and playwright. His works explored social and political themes and earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award.
Another notable figure is Arundhati Limaye (born 1968), a classical Indian dancer and choreographer who has performed and taught extensively both in India and abroad, promoting the traditional Indian dance forms of Kathak and Bharatanatyam.
The surname Limaye has also been associated with several place names in Maharashtra, such as Limaye Vasti and Limaye Wadi, which were likely named after families or individuals bearing this surname in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Limaye
Among Census respondents with the surname Limaye, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Limaye 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 Limaye surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.8% · 303
- White7.2% · 25
- Two or more races3.8% · 13
- Black or African American0.6% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Limaye
Limaye 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
#75,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 256
+115 bearers (+81.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 39,535 places
2020
#62,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
+89 bearers (+34.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 12,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75,317 | 256 | 0.09 | +115 bearers (+81.6%) | Up 39,535 places |
| 2020 | #62,640 | 345 | 0.12 | +89 bearers (+34.8%) | Up 12,677 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 Limaye 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 | #75,317 | #62,640 | 16.8% |
| Count | 256 | 345 | 34.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.12 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Limaye bearers went from 256 to 345 (+34.8% change). The surname moved up 12,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #75,317 to #62,640.
FAQ
Limaye surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Limaye?
Name Census estimates that about 396 living Americans carry the surname Limaye. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 865,541 residents.
How common is Limaye?
Limaye ranks #62,640 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 345 people with the surname Limaye. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (396), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Limaye.
Has Limaye become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Limaye went from 256 recorded bearers to 345. That is an increase of 89 (+34.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #75,317 to #62,640.
What does the Census say about the background of Limaye?
Among Census respondents with the surname Limaye, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Limaye in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (303 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Limaye appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.8%), White (7.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Limaye (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 Limaye mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word 'leeman' meaning 'lime' or 'citrus'. 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 Limaye (0.12 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 Limaye?
Find out how many people are called Limaye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.