2000
#67,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 275
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Patnaik
A surname originating from the Indian state of Odisha, meaning "lord of the soil".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 890 Americans carry the last name Patnaik. That puts it at #31,903 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 385,117 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Patnaik 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
890
1 in 385,117
Census rank
#31,903
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
776
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 776 bearers of the surname Patnaik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31903rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Patnaik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Patnaik
The surname PATNAIK originated from the Indian state of Odisha, formerly known as Orissa. It is a prominent surname found among the Odia people, who trace their roots to the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term 'Patana' or 'Patana-ika,' which refers to the city or town dwellers.
PATNAIK is believed to have its origins in the medieval period, when surnames became more widespread in India. During this time, many surnames were derived from occupations, places of origin, or social status. The PATNAIK surname likely emerged to identify individuals who hailed from the town or city, distinguishing them from those residing in rural areas.
Historical records from the region, such as inscriptions and manuscripts, have documented the presence of individuals bearing the PATNAIK surname. One notable mention is found in the "Madala Panji," a chronicle of the Gajapati dynasty that ruled over parts of Odisha between the 15th and 16th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded figures with the PATNAIK surname was Govinda Patnaik, a prominent scholar and poet who lived in the 16th century. His literary works, including the "Arya Niti Sara," have been celebrated for their contribution to Odia literature.
Another noteworthy individual was Biju Patnaik (1916-1997), a distinguished political leader and freedom fighter from Odisha. He played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement and later served as the Chief Minister of Odisha and a Union Minister in the Indian government.
Harekrushna Mahtab Patnaik (1899-1985) was a prominent politician and writer who served as the Prime Minister of the princely state of Bhubaneswar and later became the Chief Minister of Odisha after India's independence.
The PATNAIK surname has also been associated with the town of Patna, which was an important center of trade and learning in ancient and medieval India. Some families bearing this surname may have originated from this historic city, contributing to the variations in spelling and pronunciation.
Nandini Satpathy Patnaik (1932-2018) was a celebrated Odia writer and academician who made significant contributions to the field of Odia literature. Her novels and short stories explored various aspects of Odia culture and society.
While the PATNAIK surname is predominantly found in the state of Odisha, individuals bearing this name have also settled in other parts of India and abroad, carrying with them the rich cultural heritage and traditions of their ancestral homeland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Patnaik
Among Census respondents with the surname Patnaik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Patnaik 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 Patnaik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.9% · 713
- White3.9% · 30
- Two or more races3.6% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 3
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Patnaik
Patnaik 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
#40,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 533
+258 bearers (+93.8%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 26,204 places
2020
#31,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 776
+243 bearers (+45.6%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 9,006 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #67,113 | 275 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,909 | 533 | 0.18 | +258 bearers (+93.8%) | Up 26,204 places |
| 2020 | #31,903 | 776 | 0.26 | +243 bearers (+45.6%) | Up 9,006 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 Patnaik 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 | #40,909 | #31,903 | 22.0% |
| Count | 533 | 776 | 45.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.26 | 44.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Patnaik bearers went from 533 to 776 (+45.6% change). The surname moved up 9,006 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,909 to #31,903.
FAQ
Patnaik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Patnaik?
Name Census estimates that about 890 living Americans carry the surname Patnaik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 385,117 residents.
How common is Patnaik?
Patnaik ranks #31,903 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 776 people with the surname Patnaik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (890), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Patnaik.
Has Patnaik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Patnaik went from 533 recorded bearers to 776. That is an increase of 243 (+45.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,909 to #31,903.
What does the Census say about the background of Patnaik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Patnaik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Patnaik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (713 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Patnaik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.9%), White (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Patnaik (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 Patnaik mean?
A surname originating from the Indian state of Odisha, meaning "lord of the soil". 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 Patnaik (0.26 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 surname Patnaik?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.