2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Moorjani
A surname indicating its bearer originated from the Indian town of Moorjani or was associated with it.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 225 Americans carry the last name Moorjani. That puts it at #98,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,523,353 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Moorjani 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
225
1 in 1,523,353
Census rank
#98,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
196
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 196 bearers of the surname Moorjani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Moorjani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Moorjani
The surname Moorjani has its origins in India. It is believed to have originated in the western state of Gujarat, where it was commonly found among members of the Lohana community, a sub-caste of the Bania caste.
The name Moorjani is derived from the Gujarati word "moorji," which means a root or a plant. It is likely that the name was originally an occupational surname, referring to those who cultivated or traded in plants, herbs, or spices.
While there are no known historical references to the name Moorjani in ancient manuscripts or records, the earliest documented instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in Gujarat. During this period, the Lohana community was prominent in trading and commerce, particularly in the spice trade, which may have contributed to the emergence of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Moorjani can be found in the records of the East India Company, which mention a merchant named Jayram Moorjani who traded in spices and textiles in the late 17th century.
Another notable individual with the surname Moorjani was Raghunath Moorjani, a wealthy philanthropist who lived in the 19th century and was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions and social welfare initiatives in Gujarat.
In the 20th century, the name Moorjani gained further prominence with individuals such as Dhun Moorjani, a renowned classical dancer and choreographer who played a significant role in popularizing Indian dance forms in the West. She was born in 1921 and passed away in 2003.
Ramesh Moorjani, an Indian businessman and industrialist, was another notable figure who founded the Moorjani Group, a diversified conglomerate with interests in textiles, chemicals, and real estate. He was born in 1919 and died in 2004.
Lastly, Usha Moorjani, a distinguished Indian actress, has been active in the film industry since the 1970s and is known for her roles in various Bollywood and regional language films.
While the name Moorjani is primarily found in India, particularly in Gujarat and among the Lohana community, it has also gained recognition globally due to the success and achievements of individuals bearing this surname in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Moorjani
Among Census respondents with the surname Moorjani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Moorjani 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 Moorjani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.8% · 174
- White6.1% · 12
- Two or more races4.1% · 8
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Moorjani
Moorjani 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
#102,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+73 bearers (+70.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 44,898 places
2020
#98,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
+20 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 3,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102,197 | 176 | 0.06 | +73 bearers (+70.9%) | Up 44,898 places |
| 2020 | #98,894 | 196 | 0.07 | +20 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 3,303 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 Moorjani 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 | #102,197 | #98,894 | 3.2% |
| Count | 176 | 196 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Moorjani bearers went from 176 to 196 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 3,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #102,197 to #98,894.
FAQ
Moorjani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Moorjani?
Name Census estimates that about 225 living Americans carry the surname Moorjani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,523,353 residents.
How common is Moorjani?
Moorjani ranks #98,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 196 people with the surname Moorjani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Moorjani.
Has Moorjani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Moorjani went from 176 recorded bearers to 196. That is an increase of 20 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #102,197 to #98,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Moorjani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Moorjani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.8%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) 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 Moorjani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (174 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Moorjani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.8%), White (6.1%), 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 Moorjani (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 Moorjani mean?
A surname indicating its bearer originated from the Indian town of Moorjani or was associated with it. 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 Moorjani (0.07 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 Moorjani?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Moorjani at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.