2000
#6,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Uncommon Last name
Parikh
A surname of Indian origin referring to a village accountant, scribe, or record-keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,481 Americans carry the last name Parikh. That puts it at #3,792 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,702 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Parikh 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 Parikh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 32,702
Census rank
#3,792
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.1K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,140 bearers of the surname Parikh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3792nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Parikh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Parikh
The surname "PARIKH" has its roots in India, specifically in the state of Gujarat. It traces its origins back to the 10th century CE and is derived from the Sanskrit word "Parik" or "Paryik," which means "learned," "wise," or "scholar." The name was initially used to denote members of the Brahmin caste who were renowned for their knowledge and expertise in various fields, particularly religion and philosophy.
In ancient India, the Parikh surname was closely associated with the Nagar Brahmins, a community of scholars and intellectuals who played a significant role in preserving and disseminating Hindu religious scriptures and traditions. They were often employed as priests, teachers, and advisors to rulers and nobility.
The earliest recorded instances of the Parikh surname can be found in medieval Indian texts and inscriptions from the 11th and 12th centuries. One notable mention is in the Chaulukya era inscriptions from the city of Patan, where several individuals with the Parikh surname are listed as scribes, scholars, and advisors to the ruling dynasty.
One of the most famous historical figures bearing the Parikh surname was Hemachandra Suri (1088-1172), a renowned Jain scholar, poet, and grammarian. He authored several influential works, including the Siddhahemashabdanushasana, a comprehensive grammar of the Sanskrit language.
Another prominent Parikh was Vishvanath Narayan Parikh (1861-1923), a social reformer and pioneer in the field of education in Gujarat. He established several schools and colleges, including the Samaldas College in Bhavnagar, and played a pivotal role in promoting women's education.
In the literary realm, Govardhanram Tripathi Parikh (1832-1885) was a celebrated Gujarati poet and writer. He is best known for his epic poem "Narmakavita," which chronicles the life of Lord Krishna.
Chandulal Parikh (1888-1958) was a prominent freedom fighter and participated in the Indian independence movement alongside Mahatma Gandhi. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, which drafted the country's constitution.
Lastly, Natwarlal Parikh (1932-2001) was a distinguished Indian architect and urban planner. He designed several iconic buildings in India, including the Akshardham Temple Complex in New Delhi and the Bhadra Fort Palace in Ahmedabad.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Parikh
Among Census respondents with the surname Parikh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Parikh 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 Parikh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.3% · 8,526
- White2.8% · 255
- Two or more races2.8% · 255
- Black or African American0.4% · 38
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Parikh
Parikh 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
#4,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,506
+2,393 bearers (+46.8%)
Per 100,000 2.54
Rank movement Up 1,446 places
2020
#3,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,140
+1,634 bearers (+21.8%)
Per 100,000 3.06
Rank movement Up 932 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,170 | 5,113 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,724 | 7,506 | 2.54 | +2,393 bearers (+46.8%) | Up 1,446 places |
| 2020 | #3,792 | 9,140 | 3.06 | +1,634 bearers (+21.8%) | Up 932 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 Parikh 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 | #4,724 | #3,792 | 19.7% |
| Count | 7,506 | 9,140 | 21.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.54 | 3.06 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Parikh bearers went from 7,506 to 9,140 (+21.8% change). The surname moved up 932 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,724 to #3,792.
FAQ
Parikh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Parikh?
Name Census estimates that about 10,481 living Americans carry the surname Parikh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,702 residents.
How common is Parikh?
Parikh ranks #3,792 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,140 people with the surname Parikh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,481), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Parikh.
Has Parikh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Parikh went from 7,506 recorded bearers to 9,140. That is an increase of 1,634 (+21.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,724 to #3,792.
What does the Census say about the background of Parikh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Parikh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Parikh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (8,526 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Parikh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.3%), White (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Parikh (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 Parikh mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a village accountant, scribe, or record-keeper. 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 Parikh (3.06 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 are called Parikh?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Parikh at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.