2000
#49,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 394
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Mohanty
A surname common among the Brahmin community of Odisha, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,757 Americans carry the last name Mohanty. That puts it at #17,973 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 195,079 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mohanty 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 Mohanty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 195,079
Census rank
#17,973
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,532 bearers of the surname Mohanty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17973rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mohanty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mohanty
The surname Mohanty originated in the Indian state of Odisha. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Mohantā," which means great respect, reverence, or veneration. The name likely emerged around the 7th or 8th century CE, during the time of the influential Bhaumakaras dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Odisha.
The Mohanty surname is most commonly found in the coastal districts of Odisha, such as Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Puri. These regions were once home to influential Hindu temples and monasteries, where the name may have been bestowed upon individuals who held positions of respect and authority within the religious community.
One of the earliest known references to the Mohanty name can be found in the Madala Panji, a historical record of the Jagannath Temple in Puri, which dates back to the 12th century. The text mentions several individuals with the Mohanty surname who held important roles in the temple's administration and rituals.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Ramachandra Mohanty served as the chief minister of the Gajapati Empire, a powerful Hindu kingdom in Odisha. His contributions to the empire's governance and cultural development are well documented in historical texts of the time.
Another notable individual was Gopabandhu Mohanty (1887-1932), a prominent freedom fighter and social reformer who played a significant role in India's independence movement. He established the Utkal Tannery, one of the first modern industries in Odisha, and worked tirelessly to promote education and social welfare.
Renowned Odiya writer and poet Sachidananda Mohanty (1928-2022) left an indelible mark on the literary landscape of Odisha. His works, which explored themes of social injustice and human struggles, earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Jnanpith Award in 1989.
Biju Patnaik (1916-1997), a prominent political leader and aviator, was also of the Mohanty lineage. He played a crucial role in India's independence struggle and later served as the Chief Minister of Odisha for multiple terms, contributing significantly to the state's development.
Throughout history, the Mohanty surname has been closely associated with the cultural and intellectual traditions of Odisha. While its origins can be traced back to ancient times, the name continues to hold significance and respect in the region today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mohanty
Among Census respondents with the surname Mohanty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mohanty 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 Mohanty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.4% · 1,415
- White3.3% · 51
- Two or more races2.9% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 12
- Black or African American0.5% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mohanty
Mohanty 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
#27,435
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 879
+485 bearers (+123.1%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 22,530 places
2020
#17,973
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,532
+653 bearers (+74.3%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 9,462 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,965 | 394 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,435 | 879 | 0.30 | +485 bearers (+123.1%) | Up 22,530 places |
| 2020 | #17,973 | 1,532 | 0.51 | +653 bearers (+74.3%) | Up 9,462 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 Mohanty 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 | #27,435 | #17,973 | 34.5% |
| Count | 879 | 1,532 | 74.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.30 | 0.51 | 70.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mohanty bearers went from 879 to 1,532 (+74.3% change). The surname moved up 9,462 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,435 to #17,973.
FAQ
Mohanty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mohanty?
Name Census estimates that about 1,757 living Americans carry the surname Mohanty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 195,079 residents.
How common is Mohanty?
Mohanty ranks #17,973 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 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 1,532 people with the surname Mohanty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,757), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 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 Mohanty.
Has Mohanty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mohanty went from 879 recorded bearers to 1,532. That is an increase of 653 (+74.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,435 to #17,973.
What does the Census say about the background of Mohanty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mohanty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.4%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) 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 Mohanty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,415 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mohanty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.4%), White (3.3%), 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 Mohanty (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 Mohanty mean?
A surname common among the Brahmin community of Odisha, India. 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 Mohanty (0.51 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 Mohanty?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.