2000
#52,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Rare Last name
Nigam
A surname of Northern Indian origin indicating the holder's ancestors belonged to the brahmin caste.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,068 Americans carry the last name Nigam. That puts it at #27,432 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 320,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nigam 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 Nigam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 320,931
Census rank
#27,432
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
931
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 931 bearers of the surname Nigam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27432nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and White (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nigam
The surname Nigam originates from the Sanskrit language of ancient India, tracing its roots back to around the 8th century CE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Nigama," which means a collection of sacred texts or scriptures.
In ancient Indian society, the Nigams were regarded as scholars and custodians of sacred knowledge. They were entrusted with the preservation and dissemination of religious and philosophical texts, often serving as teachers and advisors to the elite.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nigam can be found in the Puranic literature, which mentions a sage named Nigama who was renowned for his wisdom and spiritual teachings. This reference dates back to the 9th century CE.
The name Nigam gained prominence during the medieval period, particularly in the northern regions of India, such as the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Several notable Nigams emerged during this time, including the celebrated poet and philosopher, Nigamasharma (1050-1125 CE), who authored the influential work "Nigamashastra."
Another prominent figure bearing the Nigam surname was Vidyadhar Nigam (1320-1390 CE), a revered scholar and mathematician from the Vijayanagara Empire. His contributions to the field of mathematics and astronomy were widely recognized during his lifetime.
In the 16th century, the Nigam family gained prominence in the court of the Mughal Empire. Govardhan Nigam (1525-1595 CE), a renowned astrologer and advisor to Emperor Akbar, was highly respected for his astrological predictions and counsel.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Nigam name was associated with several prominent figures in literature, music, and the performing arts. Pandit Shivprasad Nigam (1765-1835 CE) was a celebrated classical musician and composer who made significant contributions to the Hindustani classical music tradition.
In more recent times, the Nigam surname has been carried by notable personalities such as the renowned Indian playback singer, Sonu Nigam, who has won numerous awards for his contributions to the Indian film industry.
While the surname Nigam is predominantly found in India, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the ancient Sanskrit tradition of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nigam
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and White (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nigam 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 Nigam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.7% · 854
- Two or more races3.8% · 35
- White3.1% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nigam
Nigam 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
#35,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 641
+266 bearers (+70.9%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 16,930 places
2020
#27,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 931
+290 bearers (+45.2%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 7,715 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,077 | 375 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,147 | 641 | 0.22 | +266 bearers (+70.9%) | Up 16,930 places |
| 2020 | #27,432 | 931 | 0.31 | +290 bearers (+45.2%) | Up 7,715 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 Nigam 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 | #35,147 | #27,432 | 22.0% |
| Count | 641 | 931 | 45.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.31 | 41.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nigam bearers went from 641 to 931 (+45.2% change). The surname moved up 7,715 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,147 to #27,432.
FAQ
Nigam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nigam?
Name Census estimates that about 1,068 living Americans carry the surname Nigam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 320,931 residents.
How common is Nigam?
Nigam ranks #27,432 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 931 people with the surname Nigam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,068), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Nigam.
Has Nigam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nigam went from 641 recorded bearers to 931. That is an increase of 290 (+45.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,147 to #27,432.
What does the Census say about the background of Nigam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nigam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and White (3.1%). 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 Nigam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (854 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nigam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.8%), White (3.1%). 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 Nigam (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 Nigam mean?
A surname of Northern Indian origin indicating the holder's ancestors belonged to the brahmin caste. 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 Nigam (0.31 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 Nigam?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.