2010
#35,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 642
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Rare Last name
Neupane
A surname of Nepali origin, possibly derived from the words "nau" (new) and "pani" (water) or from "neu" (bamboo).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,430 Americans carry the last name Neupane. That puts it at #13,691 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Neupane 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
2.4K
1 in 141,051
Census rank
#13,691
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,119 bearers of the surname Neupane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13691st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Neupane, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Neupane
The surname Neupane originates from Nepal, a landlocked country in South Asia. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is derived from the Nepali words "neu" meaning bamboo and "pane" meaning water, suggesting a connection to a place or region with abundant bamboo groves and water bodies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Neupane surname can be found in the ancient chronicles of the Malla Dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Nepal from the 12th to the 18th century. These chronicles mention individuals with the surname Neupane serving as officials and advisors to the Malla kings.
In the 16th century, a renowned scholar and poet named Siddhidas Neupane gained prominence for his contributions to Nepali literature. His works, including the epic poem "Hanuman Natak," are considered seminal texts in the Nepali literary tradition.
During the 18th century, the Neupane family played a significant role in the unification of Nepal under the leadership of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Kaji Kalu Neupane, born in 1732, was a prominent military commander who led several campaigns to expand the Gorkha Kingdom's territory.
In the 19th century, Bam Bahadur Neupane, born in 1822, served as the Governor of Palpa, a prominent province in western Nepal. He is credited with improving infrastructure and promoting education in the region during his tenure.
Another notable figure from the Neupane lineage is Yadu Nath Neupane, born in 1896, who was a renowned poet, playwright, and essayist. His literary works, including the critically acclaimed play "Aafno Ghar," are considered masterpieces of Nepali literature.
While the Neupane surname has its roots in Nepal, it has also gained recognition in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to this surname can be traced back to its origins in the Himalayan nation of Nepal.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Neupane
Among Census respondents with the surname Neupane, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Neupane 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 Neupane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.1% · 2,058
- White1.3% · 28
- Two or more races1.1% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Neupane
Neupane 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
#13,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,119
+1,477 bearers (+230.1%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 21,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #35,096 | 642 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #13,691 | 2,119 | 0.71 | +1,477 bearers (+230.1%) | Up 21,405 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 Neupane 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 | #35,096 | #13,691 | 61.0% |
| Count | 642 | 2,119 | 230.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.71 | 222.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Neupane bearers went from 642 to 2,119 (+230.1% change). The surname moved up 21,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,096 to #13,691.
FAQ
Neupane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Neupane?
Name Census estimates that about 2,430 living Americans carry the surname Neupane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,051 residents.
How common is Neupane?
Neupane ranks #13,691 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,119 people with the surname Neupane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,430), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Neupane.
Has Neupane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Neupane went from 642 recorded bearers to 2,119. That is an increase of 1,477 (+230.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,096 to #13,691.
What does the Census say about the background of Neupane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Neupane, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.1%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Neupane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (2,058 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Neupane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.1%), White (1.3%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Neupane (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 Neupane mean?
A surname of Nepali origin, possibly derived from the words "nau" (new) and "pani" (water) or from "neu" (bamboo). 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 Neupane (0.71 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 Americans have the surname Neupane?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.