2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Nerurkar
A surname derived from a place name in India, potentially referring to the village of Nerur.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Nerurkar. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nerurkar 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Nerurkar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerurkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nerurkar
The surname NERURKAR is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Maharashtra. It likely originated in the late medieval period, around the 15th or 16th century. The name is derived from the Marathi word "Neru," which means "ridge" or "high ground," and "kar," which is a common suffix indicating an occupational or place-based name.
This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who lived on or worked near a ridge or elevated area. In some cases, surnames derived from place names or geographical features were given to families who lived in those locations for generations.
While no definitive historical references to the NERURKAR surname have been found in ancient texts or manuscripts, it is possible that the name appeared in local records or documents from the region during the medieval era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the NERURKAR surname was Govind Nerurkar, a Marathi poet and scholar who lived in the late 17th century. He was known for his works on Hindu philosophy and religious texts.
Another notable figure with this surname was Baburao Nerurkar, a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived from 1853 to 1924. He actively participated in the Indian independence movement and advocated for the rights of underprivileged communities.
In the field of science, Vasant Nerurkar (1917-1996) was a renowned Indian physicist and academic. He made significant contributions to the study of cosmic rays and served as the Director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Shridhar Nerurkar (1870-1949) was a celebrated Marathi playwright and author who wrote several notable plays and novels that explored social issues and cultural themes.
Lastly, Vinayak Nerurkar (1924-2008) was a prominent Indian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, from 1972 to 1978.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who carried the NERURKAR surname, which has its roots in the Indian state of Maharashtra and likely originated from a geographical or occupational reference.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nerurkar
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerurkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nerurkar 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 Nerurkar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.8% · 108
- White4.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nerurkar
Nerurkar 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
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+17 bearers (+16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,644 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.7%) | Up 15,644 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 Nerurkar 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 | #158,432 | #142,788 | 9.9% |
| Count | 102 | 119 | 16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 32.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nerurkar bearers went from 102 to 119 (+16.7% change). The surname moved up 15,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #142,788.
FAQ
Nerurkar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nerurkar?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Nerurkar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Nerurkar?
Nerurkar ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Nerurkar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Nerurkar.
Has Nerurkar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nerurkar went from 102 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 17 (+16.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Nerurkar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nerurkar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Nerurkar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nerurkar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.8%), White (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Nerurkar (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 Nerurkar mean?
A surname derived from a place name in India, potentially referring to the village of Nerur. 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 Nerurkar (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 share the surname Nerurkar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.