2000
#13,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Uncommon Last name
Rai
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "rājan," meaning "king" or "royal."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,851 Americans carry the last name Rai. That puts it at #1,760 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,000 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rai 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 Rai with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 15,000
Census rank
#1,760
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,927 bearers of the surname Rai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1760th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rai
The surname "RAI" is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It is an ancient name with roots dating back to the 6th century CE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Raja," which means "king" or "ruler."
In the early medieval period, the RAI surname was associated with various royal and aristocratic families in the region. Some historical accounts suggest that the name was initially adopted by members of the Rajput warrior clans, who claimed descent from the ruling dynasties of ancient India.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAI surname can be found in the Prithviraj Raso, a medieval Sanskrit text that recounts the life and deeds of the legendary Rajput ruler Prithviraj Chauhan (c. 1166-1192 CE). This text mentions several individuals bearing the RAI surname, indicating the name's prominence among the nobility of that era.
During the Mughal period, which spanned from the 16th to the 19th century, the RAI surname was widely used by Hindu landowners and administrators who held positions of authority under the Mughal emperors. Many of these individuals played significant roles in the regional governance and administration of the Mughal Empire.
Notable historical figures with the RAI surname include Rai Pithora (c. 1345-1418 CE), a renowned Hindu warrior and chieftain who fought against the Delhi Sultanate. Another prominent individual was Rai Singh (1617-1667 CE), a Rajput ruler of the Bikaner region in present-day Rajasthan, India, who was known for his military prowess and administrative skills.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the RAI surname was also found among the landowning and mercantile communities in various parts of northern India and Pakistan. Some prominent individuals from this period include Rai Bahadur Mukund Lal (1832-1907), a renowned Indian businessman and philanthropist, and Rai Ahmad Khan (1856-1933), a prominent Muslim leader and reformist from Punjab, British India.
Over the centuries, the RAI surname has spread beyond its original geographical boundaries and can now be found among various communities and ethnic groups across South Asia and the wider diaspora. However, its roots remain firmly embedded in the rich history and cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rai
Among Census respondents with the surname Rai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rai 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 Rai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.5% · 19,036
- White2.0% · 399
- Two or more races1.2% · 236
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 155
- Black or African American0.4% · 80
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rai
Rai 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
#6,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,295
+3,189 bearers (+151.4%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Up 6,872 places
2020
#1,760
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,927
+14,632 bearers (+276.3%)
Per 100,000 6.67
Rank movement Up 4,658 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,290 | 2,106 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,418 | 5,295 | 1.80 | +3,189 bearers (+151.4%) | Up 6,872 places |
| 2020 | #1,760 | 19,927 | 6.67 | +14,632 bearers (+276.3%) | Up 4,658 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 Rai 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 | #6,418 | #1,760 | 72.6% |
| Count | 5,295 | 19,927 | 276.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 6.67 | 270.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rai bearers went from 5,295 to 19,927 (+276.3% change). The surname moved up 4,658 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,418 to #1,760.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Rai
FAQ
Rai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rai?
Name Census estimates that about 22,851 living Americans carry the surname Rai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,000 residents.
How common is Rai?
Rai ranks #1,760 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,927 people with the surname Rai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,851), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Rai.
Has Rai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rai went from 5,295 recorded bearers to 19,927. That is an increase of 14,632 (+276.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,418 to #1,760.
What does the Census say about the background of Rai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Rai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (19,036 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.5%), White (2.0%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Rai (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 Rai mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit word "rājan," meaning "king" or "royal." 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 Rai (6.67 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 Rai?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.