2000
#9,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Mahar
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Meachair," meaning "descendant of Meachar," a personal name meaning "kindly" or "agreeable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,575 Americans carry the last name Mahar. That puts it at #9,886 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,875 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahar 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 Mahar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,875
Census rank
#9,886
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,118 bearers of the surname Mahar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9886th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahar
The surname Mahar is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Maha,' which means 'great' or 'eminent,' and the suffix 'ar,' indicating a person or community.
The earliest recorded instances of the Mahar surname can be traced back to the 12th century CE, during the reign of the Yadava dynasty in the Deccan region. The name was initially associated with the Mahar caste, a community that played a significant role in agricultural and military activities in medieval Maharashtra.
In the 16th century, the Mahar surname gained prominence during the reign of the Maratha Empire. Several historical records from this period mention notable figures bearing the Mahar surname, including military commanders and administrators who served under the Maratha rulers.
One of the earliest documented references to the Mahar surname can be found in the Bakhars, a collection of historical chronicles from the Maratha period. These manuscripts provide insights into the lives and deeds of prominent Mahar individuals, such as Yashwantrao Mahar, a renowned military leader who served under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century.
Throughout history, the Mahar surname has been associated with several notable individuals. For example, Gopal Mahar (1852-1923) was a prominent social reformer and educator who played a crucial role in the upliftment of the Mahar community in Maharashtra. Babasaheb Ambedkar (1891-1956), the architect of the Indian Constitution and a leading figure in the Dalit rights movement, was also born into the Mahar caste.
Another influential figure with the Mahar surname was Ramji Mahar (1871-1942), a pioneering writer and journalist who contributed significantly to the development of Marathi literature. His works shed light on the struggles and aspirations of the Mahar community during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Mahar surname has also been associated with various place names in Maharashtra. For instance, the town of Maharvadi in the Kolhapur district is believed to have derived its name from the Mahar community that historically inhabited the region.
It is important to note that the Mahar surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Maharu, Mahar, and Mehar, reflecting regional linguistic differences and transcription practices.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahar
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahar 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 Mahar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,824
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 110
- Two or more races2.6% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mahar
Mahar 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
#9,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,302
+56 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 565 places
2020
#9,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,118
-184 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,238 | 3,246 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,803 | 3,302 | 1.12 | +56 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 565 places |
| 2020 | #9,886 | 3,118 | 1.04 | -184 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 83 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 Mahar 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 | #9,803 | #9,886 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,302 | 3,118 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.04 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mahar bearers went from 3,302 to 3,118 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,803 to #9,886.
FAQ
Mahar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mahar?
Name Census estimates that about 3,575 living Americans carry the surname Mahar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,875 residents.
How common is Mahar?
Mahar ranks #9,886 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,118 people with the surname Mahar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,575), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Mahar.
Has Mahar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mahar went from 3,302 recorded bearers to 3,118. That is a decrease of 184 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,803 to #9,886.
What does the Census say about the background of Mahar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mahar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,824 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mahar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Mahar (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 Mahar mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Meachair," meaning "descendant of Meachar," a personal name meaning "kindly" or "agreeable." 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 Mahar (1.04 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 Mahar?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Mahar at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.