2000
#14,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,822
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.68
Rare Last name
Naik
A surname of Indian origin referring to a leader, chief, or one in charge of a region or group.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,570 Americans carry the last name Naik. That puts it at #6,684 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,536 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naik 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 Naik with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,536
Census rank
#6,684
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,857 bearers of the surname Naik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6684th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naik
The surname NAIK originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Marathi language spoken in Maharashtra and surrounding regions. The word "naik" has its roots in the Sanskrit word "nayaka," meaning leader or chief. It was originally a title bestowed upon military commanders, village heads, or prominent individuals in positions of authority during ancient and medieval times.
The earliest recorded instances of the NAIK surname can be traced back to the 12th century, when it was used to denote the rank of a military officer or leader in various princely states and kingdoms across India. The name is closely associated with the Maratha Empire, which ruled a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent from the 17th to the early 19th century.
Notable historical figures bearing the NAIK surname include Tanhaji Naik (c. 1598 - 1670), a revered Maratha military leader known for his valor and strategic brilliance. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Maratha Empire under Shivaji Maharaj. Another prominent figure was Baji Prabhu Deshpande Naik (c. 1615 - 1660), a legendary Maratha military commander who sacrificed his life in a battle against the Mughal forces.
The NAIK surname is also associated with various place names in Maharashtra, such as Naik Vadi, Naik Nagar, and Naik Pada, reflecting the influence and presence of individuals holding this title in those regions. The name has evolved over time, with variations in spelling, including Naique, Nayak, and Nayak.
Some other notable individuals with the NAIK surname throughout history include:
1. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (1883 - 1966), a prominent Indian revolutionary, freedom fighter, and political leader.
2. Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918 - 1999), the ninth President of India from 1992 to 1997.
3. Harihar Naik (1925 - 2005), an Indian novelist and playwright known for his works in the Konkani language.
4. Raghunath Naik (1845 - 1921), a renowned Marathi poet and social reformer.
5. Sudhir Naik (born 1955), an Indian cricketer who represented the national team in the 1980s.
The NAIK surname continues to hold significance in various regions of India, particularly in Maharashtra, where it is deeply rooted in history and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naik
Among Census respondents with the surname Naik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Naik 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 Naik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.0% · 4,467
- White3.7% · 179
- Two or more races2.8% · 134
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 34
- Black or African American0.6% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naik
Naik 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
#10,528
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,047
+1,225 bearers (+67.2%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 4,370 places
2020
#6,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,857
+1,810 bearers (+59.4%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Up 3,844 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,898 | 1,822 | 0.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,528 | 3,047 | 1.03 | +1,225 bearers (+67.2%) | Up 4,370 places |
| 2020 | #6,684 | 4,857 | 1.62 | +1,810 bearers (+59.4%) | Up 3,844 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 Naik 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 | #10,528 | #6,684 | 36.5% |
| Count | 3,047 | 4,857 | 59.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 1.62 | 57.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naik bearers went from 3,047 to 4,857 (+59.4% change). The surname moved up 3,844 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,528 to #6,684.
FAQ
Naik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naik?
Name Census estimates that about 5,570 living Americans carry the surname Naik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,536 residents.
How common is Naik?
Naik ranks #6,684 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 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 4,857 people with the surname Naik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,570), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 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 Naik.
Has Naik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naik went from 3,047 recorded bearers to 4,857. That is an increase of 1,810 (+59.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,528 to #6,684.
What does the Census say about the background of Naik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Naik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (4,467 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.0%), White (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Naik (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 Naik mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a leader, chief, or one in charge of a region or group. 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 Naik (1.62 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 Naik?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Naik, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.