2000
#25,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 932
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Mehra
A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "mitra" meaning friend or ally.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,360 Americans carry the last name Mehra. That puts it at #14,020 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mehra 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 Mehra with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 145,235
Census rank
#14,020
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,058 bearers of the surname Mehra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14020th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mehra
The surname Mehra has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word 'Mihira,' which means sun or sun-like. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who possessed a radiant or bright personality or had a connection with the sun or its worship.
The earliest records of the name Mehra can be traced back to the 8th century CE, during the reign of the Rajput dynasties in the northern Indian states of Rajasthan and Haryana. Several historical references mention individuals with the surname Mehra holding positions of importance in the royal courts and armies of these kingdoms.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Mehra is found in the Prithviraj Raso, an epic poem composed in the 12th century, which recounts the life and exploits of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan. The poem mentions a warrior named Mehra who fought valiantly alongside King Prithviraj in his battles against the Muslim invaders.
In the 16th century, during the Mughal era, the name Mehra was associated with several notable figures. Rai Mehra, a prominent Rajput nobleman, served as a military commander under the Mughal emperor Akbar and played a significant role in the conquest of Gujarat.
Another noteworthy individual bearing the surname Mehra was Pandit Sukh Mehra, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 17th century. He was celebrated for his poetic works in the Braj Bhasha dialect and his contributions to the literary traditions of northern India.
The 19th century saw the rise of Lala Mohan Lal Mehra, a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Lahore (now in Pakistan). He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions and played a pivotal role in the social and economic development of the region.
In more recent times, the surname Mehra has been associated with several influential figures in various fields, such as Vinod Mehra, an acclaimed Indian actor known for his roles in popular Bollywood films of the 1970s and 1980s (1945-1990), and Zia Mehra, a renowned Pakistani artist and sculptor (1938-2002).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mehra
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mehra 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 Mehra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.2% · 1,775
- White6.3% · 129
- Two or more races5.1% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 40
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mehra
Mehra 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
#19,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,415
+483 bearers (+51.8%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 5,817 places
2020
#14,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,058
+643 bearers (+45.4%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 5,169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,006 | 932 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,189 | 1,415 | 0.48 | +483 bearers (+51.8%) | Up 5,817 places |
| 2020 | #14,020 | 2,058 | 0.69 | +643 bearers (+45.4%) | Up 5,169 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 Mehra 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 | #19,189 | #14,020 | 26.9% |
| Count | 1,415 | 2,058 | 45.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.69 | 43.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mehra bearers went from 1,415 to 2,058 (+45.4% change). The surname moved up 5,169 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,189 to #14,020.
FAQ
Mehra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mehra?
Name Census estimates that about 2,360 living Americans carry the surname Mehra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,235 residents.
How common is Mehra?
Mehra ranks #14,020 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 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 2,058 people with the surname Mehra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,360), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 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 Mehra.
Has Mehra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mehra went from 1,415 recorded bearers to 2,058. That is an increase of 643 (+45.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,189 to #14,020.
What does the Census say about the background of Mehra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mehra, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.2%. The next largest groups are White (6.3%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Mehra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (1,775 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mehra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.2%), White (6.3%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Mehra (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 Mehra mean?
A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "mitra" meaning friend or ally. 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 Mehra (0.69 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 have the last name Mehra?
Want to know how many people have the surname Mehra? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.