2000
#26,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 849
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.31
Rare Last name
Mahajan
A Hindu surname denoting a learned Brahmin or an honored priest in ancient times.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,434 Americans carry the last name Mahajan. That puts it at #10,239 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,812 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahajan 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 Mahajan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,812
Census rank
#10,239
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,995 bearers of the surname Mahajan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10239th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahajan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahajan
The surname Mahajan has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of present-day India and Pakistan. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mahat," which means "great" or "eminent," and the suffix "-jan," meaning "born" or "descended from." Thus, Mahajan can be interpreted as "one who is descended from greatness."
The earliest recorded instances of the Mahajan surname can be traced back to the 12th century, during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate. The name is closely associated with the Khatri community, a prominent trading and mercantile group that played a significant role in the economic and cultural life of the region.
In ancient times, the Mahajans were often recognized as wealthy merchants, bankers, and financiers. Their influence and prosperity were evident in the historical records of various kingdoms and empires that ruled over the Indian subcontinent, including the Mughal Empire and the Maratha Confederacy.
One of the earliest known figures with the Mahajan surname was Gokuldas Mahajan, a prominent merchant and banker who lived in the 16th century during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. He is credited with establishing a successful trade network across the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
Another notable Mahajan was Sahu Ram Mahajan, a wealthy banker and philanthropist who lived in the 18th century. He was known for his generous endowments towards educational institutions and religious establishments, contributing to the cultural and social development of his time.
In the realm of literature, the Punjabi poet and writer Amrita Pritam Mahajan (1919-2005) was a celebrated figure. Her powerful works, which often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition, earned her numerous accolades, including the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor.
Kalpana Mahajan (1956-2021), an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, was renowned for her contributions to the Odissi dance form. Her performances and teachings garnered international acclaim, and she was recognized with prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
In the field of sports, Ajay Mahajan (born 1968) was a prominent Indian cricketer who represented his country in Test and One Day International matches during the 1990s. He was known for his all-round abilities as a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a hard-hitting lower-order batsman.
The Mahajan surname has also been associated with various place names throughout the Indian subcontinent, reflecting the widespread presence and influence of this community over the centuries. Examples include the town of Mahajan in Punjab, Pakistan, and the Mahajan Gali neighborhood in the city of Lahore, Pakistan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahajan
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahajan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahajan 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 Mahajan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.5% · 2,771
- White3.6% · 108
- Two or more races2.9% · 88
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mahajan
Mahajan 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
#16,130
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,794
+945 bearers (+111.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 10,768 places
2020
#10,239
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,995
+1,201 bearers (+66.9%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 5,891 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,898 | 849 | 0.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,130 | 1,794 | 0.61 | +945 bearers (+111.3%) | Up 10,768 places |
| 2020 | #10,239 | 2,995 | 1.00 | +1,201 bearers (+66.9%) | Up 5,891 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 Mahajan 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 | #16,130 | #10,239 | 36.5% |
| Count | 1,794 | 2,995 | 66.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.61 | 1.00 | 64.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mahajan bearers went from 1,794 to 2,995 (+66.9% change). The surname moved up 5,891 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,130 to #10,239.
FAQ
Mahajan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mahajan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,434 living Americans carry the surname Mahajan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,812 residents.
How common is Mahajan?
Mahajan ranks #10,239 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 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 2,995 people with the surname Mahajan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,434), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 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 Mahajan.
Has Mahajan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mahajan went from 1,794 recorded bearers to 2,995. That is an increase of 1,201 (+66.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,130 to #10,239.
What does the Census say about the background of Mahajan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahajan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Mahajan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,771 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mahajan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.5%), White (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Mahajan (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 Mahajan mean?
A Hindu surname denoting a learned Brahmin or an honored priest in ancient times. 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 Mahajan (1.00 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 Americans have the surname Mahajan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.