2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nanavaty
A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from a place name or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Nanavaty. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nanavaty 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Nanavaty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanavaty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nanavaty
The surname Nanavaty originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the western state of Gujarat. It is a Gujarati surname that can be traced back to the 16th century or earlier. The name is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Nana," which means small or minor, and the Gujarati word "vati," which means village or hamlet. Therefore, the name Nanavaty likely referred to someone who hailed from a small village or hamlet.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nanavaty can be found in the Akbar Nama, a 16th-century historical work commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The work mentions a person named Nanavaty who served as a courtier in Akbar's court. Unfortunately, no specific dates or further details about this individual are provided.
In the 17th century, there are records of a Nanavaty family residing in the Surat region of Gujarat. Surat was a major port city and a hub of trade during the Mughal era, suggesting that the Nanavaty family may have been involved in mercantile activities.
During the 18th century, a notable figure named Motiram Nanavaty lived in the town of Dholka, located in the Ahmedabad district of Gujarat. Motiram Nanavaty was a prominent merchant and philanthropist who contributed to the construction of several temples and public works in the region.
In the 19th century, Narsinghdas Nanavaty, a Gujarati poet and playwright, gained recognition for his literary works. Born in 1830, Narsinghdas Nanavaty authored several plays and poems in the Gujarati language, including the popular play "Bhaktamal."
Another prominent figure from the 19th century was Govardhandas Nanavaty, a social reformer and educator. Born in 1855, Govardhandas Nanavaty played a significant role in promoting education and advocating for women's rights in Gujarat.
As the Nanavaty surname spread across Gujarat and other parts of India, it also found its way into various professions and fields. For instance, in the 20th century, Vrajlal Nanavaty was a notable architect who designed several landmark buildings in Ahmedabad, including the Sardar Patel Memorial Trust and the Shreyas School campus.
While the origins of the Nanavaty surname can be traced back to Gujarat, it is now found among various communities across India and even among the Indian diaspora around the world. However, the detailed history and specific individuals mentioned in this report are limited to the earlier centuries, as more recent census data and records may not accurately capture the full breadth of the name's evolution and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nanavaty
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanavaty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (8.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Nanavaty 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 Nanavaty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander80.9% · 89
- White9.1% · 10
- Two or more races8.2% · 9
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nanavaty
Nanavaty 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,461 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,461 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 Nanavaty 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 | #154,907 | #149,446 | 3.5% |
| Count | 105 | 110 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nanavaty bearers went from 105 to 110 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,461 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #149,446.
FAQ
Nanavaty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nanavaty?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Nanavaty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Nanavaty?
Nanavaty ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Nanavaty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Nanavaty.
Has Nanavaty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nanavaty went from 105 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Nanavaty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nanavaty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 80.9%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Nanavaty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nanavaty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (80.9%), White (9.1%), Two or More Races (8.2%). 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 Nanavaty (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 Nanavaty mean?
A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from a place name or occupation. 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 Nanavaty (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 have the surname Nanavaty?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.