2000
#31,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 688
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Prabhu
An Indian surname meaning "master" or "lord."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,569 Americans carry the last name Prabhu. That puts it at #13,093 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,419 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prabhu 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 Prabhu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,419
Census rank
#13,093
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,240 bearers of the surname Prabhu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13093rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prabhu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prabhu
The surname "PRABHU" is of Indian origin, specifically from the Sanskrit language. It can be traced back to the 5th century CE and was widely used across the Indian subcontinent during medieval times.
The word "PRABHU" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Prabhu," which means lord, master, or owner. It was initially used as a title or honorific for rulers, kings, and nobility. Over time, it became a surname adopted by families associated with the ruling or upper classes.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname "PRABHU" can be found in the Chalukya dynasty inscriptions from the 6th century CE. These inscriptions document the reign of the Chalukya kings and mention individuals with the title "PRABHU" serving in various administrative roles.
In the 12th century, the Kakatiya dynasty of present-day Telangana region had a prominent ruler named Prataparudra Prabhu, who ruled from 1163 to 1195 CE. His name includes the honorific "PRABHU," indicating his royal status.
During the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th to 16th centuries, the surname "PRABHU" was commonly used by members of the Brahmin community who held influential positions in the administration and religious establishments.
One notable figure with the surname "PRABHU" was Sayana Madhava Prabhu, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and commentator who lived in the 14th century. He authored commentary works on various Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas and the Puranas.
Another prominent individual was Govinda Prabhu, a 16th-century saint and devotee of Lord Krishna from Vrindavan, who played a significant role in the Bhakti movement.
In the 18th century, Raghunath Prabhu was a prominent Marathi poet and writer who contributed to the literary tradition of the region.
The surname "PRABHU" has also been associated with place names, such as Prabhu Ghat in Varanasi, a famous ghat (riverfront) along the Ganges River, and Prabhu Linga, a temple complex in Karnataka dedicated to Lord Shiva.
While the surname "PRABHU" has a long and distinguished history, it is important to note that it was primarily used by upper-class families and those associated with religious or administrative roles in the past. Over time, it has become more widely adopted across various communities in India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prabhu
Among Census respondents with the surname Prabhu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Prabhu 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 Prabhu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.0% · 2,083
- Two or more races2.9% · 64
- White2.8% · 63
- Black or African American0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prabhu
Prabhu 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
#19,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,350
+662 bearers (+96.2%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Up 11,842 places
2020
#13,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,240
+890 bearers (+65.9%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 6,803 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,738 | 688 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,896 | 1,350 | 0.46 | +662 bearers (+96.2%) | Up 11,842 places |
| 2020 | #13,093 | 2,240 | 0.75 | +890 bearers (+65.9%) | Up 6,803 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 Prabhu 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 | #19,896 | #13,093 | 34.2% |
| Count | 1,350 | 2,240 | 65.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.46 | 0.75 | 62.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prabhu bearers went from 1,350 to 2,240 (+65.9% change). The surname moved up 6,803 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,896 to #13,093.
FAQ
Prabhu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prabhu?
Name Census estimates that about 2,569 living Americans carry the surname Prabhu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,419 residents.
How common is Prabhu?
Prabhu ranks #13,093 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,240 people with the surname Prabhu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,569), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Prabhu.
Has Prabhu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prabhu went from 1,350 recorded bearers to 2,240. That is an increase of 890 (+65.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,896 to #13,093.
What does the Census say about the background of Prabhu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prabhu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and White (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 Prabhu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,083 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prabhu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%), White (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 Prabhu (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 Prabhu mean?
An Indian surname meaning "master" or "lord." 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 Prabhu (0.75 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 Americans have the surname Prabhu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.