2000
#58,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Rare Last name
Pawar
A surname used by several Hindu communities, derived from the Sanskrit word 'pawar' meaning 'mountain' or 'hill'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,080 Americans carry the last name Pawar. That puts it at #15,530 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,786 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pawar 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 Pawar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,786
Census rank
#15,530
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,814 bearers of the surname Pawar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15530th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pawar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pawar
The surname Pawar originates from India, specifically from the Marathi-speaking regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Sanskrit word 'Pathik,' meaning 'traveler' or 'wanderer.' The name likely emerged during the medieval period, when people began adopting surnames based on their occupations, social status, or personal characteristics.
One of the earliest references to the name Pawar can be found in the Bakhars, which are historical chronicles of the Maratha Empire. These documents mention several individuals with the surname Pawar, who held prominent positions during the reign of the Maratha rulers, such as Peshwas and Sardars.
The Pawar surname has been associated with the Kshatriya (warrior) caste in India. Some historical accounts suggest that the Pawars were originally from the Kalyan region of Maharashtra and played a significant role in the military campaigns of the Maratha Empire under the leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Pawar is Dattaji Pawar, a renowned Maratha warrior who served under Shivaji Maharaj in the late 17th century. Another notable figure is Shrimant Vijayasinhrao Pawar, who was the Chief of the Pawar clan and played a crucial role in the Maratha struggle against the Mughal Empire in the early 18th century.
Moving forward in history, we find Jijabai Pawar, the mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who was born in the early 17th century. Her unwavering support and guidance played a vital role in shaping the life and ideals of her son, who went on to establish the Maratha Empire.
In the 19th century, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a prominent Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, was born into the Pawar family. He was a key figure in the Indian independence movement and is remembered for his rallying cry, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it!"
Another notable individual with the surname Pawar is Sharad Pawar, a prominent Indian politician who served as the Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in the government of India. Born in 1940, he has been a prominent figure in Indian politics for several decades and is known for his contributions to agriculture and rural development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pawar
Among Census respondents with the surname Pawar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Pawar 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 Pawar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.1% · 1,688
- White3.0% · 55
- Two or more races2.5% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pawar
Pawar 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
#26,910
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 902
+576 bearers (+176.7%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 31,347 places
2020
#15,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
+912 bearers (+101.1%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 11,380 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #58,257 | 326 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,910 | 902 | 0.31 | +576 bearers (+176.7%) | Up 31,347 places |
| 2020 | #15,530 | 1,814 | 0.61 | +912 bearers (+101.1%) | Up 11,380 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 Pawar 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 | #26,910 | #15,530 | 42.3% |
| Count | 902 | 1,814 | 101.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.61 | 95.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pawar bearers went from 902 to 1,814 (+101.1% change). The surname moved up 11,380 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,910 to #15,530.
FAQ
Pawar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pawar?
Name Census estimates that about 2,080 living Americans carry the surname Pawar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,786 residents.
How common is Pawar?
Pawar ranks #15,530 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,814 people with the surname Pawar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,080), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Pawar.
Has Pawar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pawar went from 902 recorded bearers to 1,814. That is an increase of 912 (+101.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,910 to #15,530.
What does the Census say about the background of Pawar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pawar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Pawar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,688 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pawar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.1%), White (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Pawar (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 Pawar mean?
A surname used by several Hindu communities, derived from the Sanskrit word 'pawar' meaning 'mountain' or 'hill'. 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 Pawar (0.61 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 Pawar?
You can see how many people have the last name Pawar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.