2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pahwa
A Hindu surname derived from the village name Pahwa in Punjab, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 397 Americans carry the last name Pahwa. That puts it at #62,494 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 863,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pahwa 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
397
1 in 863,361
Census rank
#62,494
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
346
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 346 bearers of the surname Pahwa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 62494th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pahwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and White (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pahwa
The surname "PAHWA" finds its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries.
PAHWA is derived from the Sanskrit word "pahav" or "pahwa," which means "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals or families who lived in mountainous or hilly regions.
Historically, the name has been linked to various regions in northern India, including the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab. It is possible that the name originated in these areas and later spread to other parts of the country through migration and settlement.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname PAHWA can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This record lists several individuals with the surname PAHWA, indicating its presence in the region at that time.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname PAHWA throughout history, some examples include:
1. Rani Pahwa (1505-1567), a influential queen consort of the Garhwal Kingdom in present-day Uttarakhand, India.
2. Pandit Tara Chand Pahwa (1858-1932), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and educator from Punjab, known for his contributions to the preservation of ancient Indian texts.
3. Madan Mohan Pahwa (1903-1985), an Indian freedom fighter and politician who actively participated in the Indian independence movement.
4. Satish Pahwa (1927-2020), a celebrated Indian writer and journalist, known for his works in Hindi and Urdu literature.
5. Mehar Pahwa (1947-2022), an acclaimed Indian actress who appeared in numerous Bollywood films and television shows.
It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of PAHWA have also been observed, such as "Pahwa," "Pahua," or "Pahuwa," particularly in different regions and historical records.
While the surname PAHWA has its roots in northern India, it has since spread to other parts of the country and even beyond, with individuals of this lineage residing in various parts of the world today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pahwa
Among Census respondents with the surname Pahwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and White (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pahwa 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 Pahwa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander89.9% · 311
- Two or more races4.9% · 17
- White4.6% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pahwa
Pahwa 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+63 bearers (+44.1%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 23,766 places
2020
#62,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 346
+140 bearers (+68.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 27,259 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | +63 bearers (+44.1%) | Up 23,766 places |
| 2020 | #62,494 | 346 | 0.12 | +140 bearers (+68.0%) | Up 27,259 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 Pahwa 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 | #89,753 | #62,494 | 30.4% |
| Count | 206 | 346 | 68.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.12 | 65.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pahwa bearers went from 206 to 346 (+68.0% change). The surname moved up 27,259 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #62,494.
FAQ
Pahwa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pahwa?
Name Census estimates that about 397 living Americans carry the surname Pahwa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 863,361 residents.
How common is Pahwa?
Pahwa ranks #62,494 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 346 people with the surname Pahwa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (397), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Pahwa.
Has Pahwa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pahwa went from 206 recorded bearers to 346. That is an increase of 140 (+68.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,753 to #62,494.
What does the Census say about the background of Pahwa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pahwa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and White (4.6%). 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 Pahwa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (311 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pahwa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.9%), White (4.6%). 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 Pahwa (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 Pahwa mean?
A Hindu surname derived from the village name Pahwa in Punjab, India. 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 Pahwa (0.12 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 Pahwa?
Want to know how many people have the surname Pahwa? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.