2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Manwani
A surname of Indian origin believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "manwant" meaning intelligent or wise person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Manwani. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Manwani 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
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Manwani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Manwani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and White (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Manwani
The surname Manwani traces its origins to the Indian subcontinent, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "manvantara," which refers to a cycle of cosmic creation and dissolution. The name may have been adopted by individuals or families associated with philosophical or spiritual traditions that studied these cosmic cycles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Manwani can be found in ancient Sanskrit texts dating back to the 5th century CE. These texts mention a sage or scholar named Manvani, who was known for his teachings on the cyclical nature of existence and the cycles of cosmic time. It is possible that the surname originated from this historical figure or was adopted by those who followed his teachings.
In the 11th century, a prominent scholar and poet named Manwani Bhattacharya is mentioned in several literary works of that era. He is believed to have hailed from the region of present-day Uttar Pradesh in northern India. Manwani Bhattacharya's works explored themes of spirituality, philosophy, and the natural world, reflecting the intellectual and cultural traditions of his time.
During the reign of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, historical records mention a nobleman named Manwani Khan, who served as a high-ranking military commander. Manwani Khan was known for his strategic prowess and loyalty to the Mughal ruler Akbar the Great. His name appears in several accounts of military campaigns and court chronicles from that period.
In the 18th century, a renowned scholar and author named Manwani Shastri gained recognition for his contributions to Hindu philosophy and literature. Hailing from the southern Indian region of Karnataka, Manwani Shastri authored several influential works on Vedic philosophy, Sanskrit grammar, and Hindu mythology. His writings were widely studied and revered by scholars and intellectuals of that era.
Another noteworthy figure with the surname Manwani was Manwani Devi, a prominent female poet and mystic who lived in the 19th century. Originally from the state of Rajasthan, Manwani Devi's poetic works centered on themes of devotion, spiritual enlightenment, and the divine feminine. Her works were widely celebrated and continue to be studied by scholars and practitioners of various spiritual traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Manwani
Among Census respondents with the surname Manwani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and White (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Manwani 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 Manwani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander78.9% · 97
- Two or more races8.1% · 10
- White5.7% · 7
- Black or African American3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Manwani
Manwani appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+12 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,562 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 8,562 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 Manwani 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 | #148,347 | #139,785 | 5.8% |
| Count | 111 | 123 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Manwani bearers went from 111 to 123 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 8,562 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #139,785.
FAQ
Manwani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Manwani?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Manwani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Manwani?
Manwani ranks #139,785 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 123 people with the surname Manwani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Manwani.
Has Manwani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Manwani went from 111 recorded bearers to 123. That is an increase of 12 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #148,347 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Manwani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Manwani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.1%) and White (5.7%). 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 Manwani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Manwani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (78.9%), Two or More Races (8.1%), White (5.7%). 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 Manwani (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 Manwani mean?
A surname of Indian origin believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "manwant" meaning intelligent or wise person. 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 Manwani (0.04 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 Manwani?
You can see how many people have the surname Manwani on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.