2000
#19,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Pathak
A surname of Indian origin referring to a person educated or knowledgeable in Hindu religious texts and scriptures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,774 Americans carry the last name Pathak. That puts it at #7,670 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,796 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pathak 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 Pathak with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,796
Census rank
#7,670
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,163 bearers of the surname Pathak in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7670th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pathak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pathak
The surname Pathak has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "patha," which means "path" or "way." The surname is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Pathak can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was used to refer to individuals who were considered guides or leaders in their respective communities. The name was often associated with scholars, teachers, and spiritual leaders who were responsible for guiding others along the path of knowledge and enlightenment.
In the 16th century, the Pathak surname appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the Mughal Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent at the time. During this period, the name was associated with individuals who held positions of authority and influence within the imperial administration.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Pathak was Pandit Ram Pathak, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived during the 15th century. He was widely respected for his contributions to the field of literature and is believed to have authored several works on Hindu philosophy and mythology.
Another notable figure with the Pathak surname was Sadashiv Pathak, a prominent Marathi writer and social reformer who lived in the 19th century (1825-1891). He played a significant role in the development of Marathi literature and was a strong advocate for the education of women and the abolition of social injustices.
In the realm of politics, Govind Ballabh Pant (1887-1961), an Indian freedom fighter and statesman, bore the surname Pathak. He served as the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence from British rule.
Narayan Shridhar Pathak (1914-2002) was a renowned Indian mathematician and statistician who made significant contributions to the field of probability theory and stochastic processes. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, for his academic achievements.
Lastly, Ila Pathak (1928-2019) was a prominent Indian actress and dancer who had a successful career in both Hindi cinema and classical dance. She was widely acclaimed for her performances in several critically acclaimed films and received numerous awards and accolades for her contributions to the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pathak
Among Census respondents with the surname Pathak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pathak 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 Pathak surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 3,918
- White2.5% · 102
- Two or more races1.7% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 52
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pathak
Pathak 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
#12,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,466
+1,213 bearers (+96.8%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Up 7,295 places
2020
#7,670
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,163
+1,697 bearers (+68.8%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 4,887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,852 | 1,253 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,557 | 2,466 | 0.84 | +1,213 bearers (+96.8%) | Up 7,295 places |
| 2020 | #7,670 | 4,163 | 1.39 | +1,697 bearers (+68.8%) | Up 4,887 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 Pathak 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 | #12,557 | #7,670 | 38.9% |
| Count | 2,466 | 4,163 | 68.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 1.39 | 65.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pathak bearers went from 2,466 to 4,163 (+68.8% change). The surname moved up 4,887 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,557 to #7,670.
FAQ
Pathak surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pathak?
Name Census estimates that about 4,774 living Americans carry the surname Pathak. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,796 residents.
How common is Pathak?
Pathak ranks #7,670 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 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 4,163 people with the surname Pathak. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,774), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 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 Pathak.
Has Pathak become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pathak went from 2,466 recorded bearers to 4,163. That is an increase of 1,697 (+68.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,557 to #7,670.
What does the Census say about the background of Pathak?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pathak, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Pathak in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (3,918 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pathak appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Pathak (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 Pathak mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to a person educated or knowledgeable in Hindu religious texts and scriptures. 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 Pathak (1.39 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 Pathak?
If you just want to know how common the surname Pathak is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.