2000
#17,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,437
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Raj
A surname of Indian origin referring to royalty, meaning "king" or "prince."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,659 Americans carry the last name Raj. That puts it at #7,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,568 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raj 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 Raj with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,568
Census rank
#7,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,063 bearers of the surname Raj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raj
The surname "RAJ" has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the northern regions of India and Pakistan. It traces its roots back to the Sanskrit word "raja," which means "king" or "ruler." This name was commonly associated with individuals who held positions of authority or were members of royal families.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "RAJ" can be found in ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions dating back to the 6th century BCE. It was often used as a title or honorific for kings and princes during the Maurya and Gupta empires.
During the medieval period, the surname "RAJ" gained widespread recognition among various ruling dynasties, including the Rajputs and the Mughals. The Rajput clans, known for their valor and military prowess, adopted the title "RAJ" to signify their noble lineage and association with ruling lineages.
In the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, there is a mention of a character named Raja Virata, who was the king of the Matsya Kingdom. This reference highlights the antiquity and historical significance of the name "RAJ" in Indian literature and mythology.
Notable individuals who bore the surname "RAJ" throughout history include Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833), a prominent Indian philosopher and social reformer, and Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), a celebrated Indian painter known for his iconic depictions of mythological and historical subjects.
Another prominent figure was Raja Jai Singh II (1688-1743), a Rajput king of Amber (present-day Jaipur) and an accomplished astronomer and mathematician. He established the first modern observatory in India and made significant contributions to the field of astronomy.
In the realm of literature, Raja Rao (1908-2006), an Indian writer and philosopher, gained recognition for his innovative novels that explored the themes of cultural identity and spirituality. His works, such as "Kanthapura" and "The Serpent and the Rope," are considered seminal in the Indian English literary tradition.
Raja Ramanna (1925-2004), an Indian nuclear physicist, played a crucial role in the development of India's nuclear program. He was the chief executive of the team that conducted India's first successful nuclear test in 1974, known as the "Smiling Buddha."
While the surname "RAJ" has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich tapestry of Indian history and tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raj
Among Census respondents with the surname Raj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Raj 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 Raj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.0% · 3,536
- White6.1% · 246
- Two or more races4.2% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 51
- Black or African American1.0% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raj
Raj 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
#11,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,672
+1,235 bearers (+85.9%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 6,207 places
2020
#7,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,063
+1,391 bearers (+52.1%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 3,902 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,935 | 1,437 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,728 | 2,672 | 0.91 | +1,235 bearers (+85.9%) | Up 6,207 places |
| 2020 | #7,826 | 4,063 | 1.36 | +1,391 bearers (+52.1%) | Up 3,902 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 Raj 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 | #11,728 | #7,826 | 33.3% |
| Count | 2,672 | 4,063 | 52.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 1.36 | 49.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raj bearers went from 2,672 to 4,063 (+52.1% change). The surname moved up 3,902 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,728 to #7,826.
FAQ
Raj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raj?
Name Census estimates that about 4,659 living Americans carry the surname Raj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,568 residents.
How common is Raj?
Raj ranks #7,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,063 people with the surname Raj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,659), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Raj.
Has Raj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raj went from 2,672 recorded bearers to 4,063. That is an increase of 1,391 (+52.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,728 to #7,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Raj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raj, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.0%. The next largest groups are White (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Raj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (3,536 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.0%), White (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Raj (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 Raj mean?
A surname of Indian origin referring to royalty, meaning "king" or "prince." 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 Raj (1.36 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 Raj?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Raj at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.