2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Piracha
A surname of South Asian origin possibly derived from the Hindi word "parcha" meaning a certificate or document.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 259 Americans carry the last name Piracha. That puts it at #88,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,323,376 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Piracha 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
259
1 in 1,323,376
Census rank
#88,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
226
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 226 bearers of the surname Piracha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Piracha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.4%) and White (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Piracha
The surname Piracha is of Pakistani origin, originating in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the Persian word "pir," meaning a spiritual guide or holy man, and "acha," meaning good or noble. The earliest recorded usage of this surname dates back to the 16th century during the Mughal Empire era.
The Piracha family is believed to have roots in the city of Sialkot, located in the northeastern part of Punjab, Pakistan. Historical accounts suggest that the ancestors of the Piracha clan were influential spiritual leaders and scholars who held significant positions in the Mughal courts and religious institutions.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Piracha surname can be found in the writings of the famous Sufi poet and scholar, Shah Hussain, who lived in the 16th century. In his poetry, he makes references to a certain Pir Piracha, who was a revered spiritual guide in the region.
During the 17th century, the Piracha family gained prominence and wealth, with several members holding important administrative and military positions under the Mughal rulers. Notable figures from this era include Mir Piracha, a highly respected military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, and Pir Piracha Qadri, a renowned Sufi saint and scholar.
In the 18th century, the Piracha clan continued to maintain their influential status, particularly in the regions of Sialkot and Gujranwala. One prominent figure from this period was Pir Piracha Khan, who played a crucial role in the resistance against the Afghan Durrani Empire's invasion of Punjab in the mid-18th century.
As the British East India Company established its rule in the Indian subcontinent, the Piracha family maintained their standing as influential landowners and community leaders. In the 19th century, Nawab Piracha Khan, a wealthy landlord and philanthropist, was known for his contributions to the development of educational institutions and public welfare initiatives in the region.
In more recent times, several notable individuals with the Piracha surname have made their mark in various fields. Zahoor Piracha, a Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team in the 1960s and 1970s, was a prominent figure in the cricketing world. Syed Sadrud-Din Piracha, a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, served on the country's Supreme Court from 1984 to 1989.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Piracha
Among Census respondents with the surname Piracha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.4%) and White (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Piracha 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 Piracha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.0% · 192
- Two or more races8.4% · 19
- White4.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Piracha
Piracha 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
#90,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+81 bearers (+65.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 37,453 places
2020
#88,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 226
+22 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 2,222 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,495 | 204 | 0.07 | +81 bearers (+65.9%) | Up 37,453 places |
| 2020 | #88,273 | 226 | 0.08 | +22 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,222 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 Piracha 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 | #90,495 | #88,273 | 2.5% |
| Count | 204 | 226 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.08 | 8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Piracha bearers went from 204 to 226 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 2,222 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,495 to #88,273.
FAQ
Piracha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Piracha?
Name Census estimates that about 259 living Americans carry the surname Piracha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,323,376 residents.
How common is Piracha?
Piracha ranks #88,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 226 people with the surname Piracha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (259), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Piracha.
Has Piracha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Piracha went from 204 recorded bearers to 226. That is an increase of 22 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #90,495 to #88,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Piracha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Piracha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.4%) and White (4.4%). 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 Piracha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Piracha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.0%), Two or More Races (8.4%), White (4.4%). 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 Piracha (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 Piracha mean?
A surname of South Asian origin possibly derived from the Hindi word "parcha" meaning a certificate or document. 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 Piracha (0.08 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 share the surname Piracha?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.