2000
#14,226
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,935
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Malhotra
A surname of Indian origin referring to a sweet maker or confectioner, derived from the Sanskrit words "mal" and "hotra".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,191 Americans carry the last name Malhotra. That puts it at #7,117 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Malhotra 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 Malhotra with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,029
Census rank
#7,117
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,527 bearers of the surname Malhotra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7117th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Malhotra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Malhotra
The surname Malhotra is of Indian origin, specifically from the Punjab region. It is believed to have originated during the 16th century, deriving from the Sanskrit words 'malla' meaning wrestler and 'itra' meaning perfume. The name suggests associations with individuals involved in wrestling or the perfume trade.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Malhotra name can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document written during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This text refers to a village named 'Malhotra' in the present-day state of Haryana, indicating the name's deep-rooted history in the region.
In the 18th century, the Malhotra surname gained prominence when Rai Kalha Malhotra, a renowned military commander, served under the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Rai Kalha Malhotra played a crucial role in several military campaigns and is celebrated for his bravery and strategic acumen.
Another notable figure from history bearing the Malhotra name is Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur Malhotra, born in 1892. She was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, which drafted the country's constitution. Amrit Kaur Malhotra's contributions to the Indian independence movement and the shaping of modern India are widely recognized.
In the realm of literature, Khushwant Singh Malhotra (1915-2014) was a celebrated Indian author, journalist, and diplomat. His works, including novels, short stories, and historical accounts, provided insightful perspectives on Indian culture, history, and social issues. Khushwant Singh Malhotra's writings are considered among the most influential in contemporary Indian literature.
Another notable figure is Atul Malhotra, a renowned Indian classical musician born in 1955. Specializing in the sitar, Atul Malhotra has performed extensively worldwide and has made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Indian classical music.
The Malhotra surname has a rich history rooted in the Punjab region of India, with its origins dating back to the 16th century. Throughout the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made significant contributions to various fields, including military, politics, literature, and the arts, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Malhotra
Among Census respondents with the surname Malhotra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Malhotra 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 Malhotra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.5% · 4,005
- White5.3% · 240
- Two or more races4.1% · 187
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 51
- Black or African American0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Malhotra
Malhotra 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
#10,046
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,206
+1,271 bearers (+65.7%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 4,180 places
2020
#7,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,527
+1,321 bearers (+41.2%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 2,929 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,226 | 1,935 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,046 | 3,206 | 1.09 | +1,271 bearers (+65.7%) | Up 4,180 places |
| 2020 | #7,117 | 4,527 | 1.51 | +1,321 bearers (+41.2%) | Up 2,929 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 Malhotra 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 | #10,046 | #7,117 | 29.2% |
| Count | 3,206 | 4,527 | 41.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.09 | 1.51 | 39.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Malhotra bearers went from 3,206 to 4,527 (+41.2% change). The surname moved up 2,929 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,046 to #7,117.
FAQ
Malhotra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Malhotra?
Name Census estimates that about 5,191 living Americans carry the surname Malhotra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,029 residents.
How common is Malhotra?
Malhotra ranks #7,117 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 4,527 people with the surname Malhotra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,191), 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 Malhotra.
Has Malhotra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Malhotra went from 3,206 recorded bearers to 4,527. That is an increase of 1,321 (+41.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,046 to #7,117.
What does the Census say about the background of Malhotra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Malhotra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Malhotra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (4,005 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Malhotra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.5%), White (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Malhotra (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 Malhotra mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a sweet maker or confectioner, derived from the Sanskrit words "mal" and "hotra". 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 Malhotra (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 share the surname Malhotra?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.