2000
#16,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Raja
A royal title or surname referring to a ruler, monarch, or princely status in several South Asian languages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,355 Americans carry the last name Raja. That puts it at #8,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raja 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 Raja with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,704
Census rank
#8,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,798 bearers of the surname Raja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raja, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raja
The surname RAJA originates from India and is derived from the Sanskrit word "raja," which means "king" or "ruler." The name has a long and rich history dating back to ancient times.
In India, the title "Raja" was used to refer to the rulers of various kingdoms and principalities. The name RAJA was often associated with royalty and nobility, and it was carried by many influential and powerful individuals throughout Indian history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RAJA can be found in ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and the Mahabharata. These texts mention various kings and rulers who bore the title "Raja," indicating that the name has been in use for thousands of years.
During the medieval period, the name RAJA gained further prominence as many ruling dynasties emerged across different regions of India. Some notable individuals with the surname RAJA include Raja Raja Chola (985-1014 CE), a powerful ruler of the Chola Empire, and Raja Rana Sanga (1482-1528 CE), a legendary Rajput ruler known for his bravery and military prowess.
The name RAJA also appears in various historical records and manuscripts, such as the Bakhshali Manuscript, an ancient Indian mathematical treatise dating back to the 3rd or 4th century CE, which mentions a scribe named RAJA.
In addition to its royal connotations, the name RAJA has also been associated with certain place names and geographical locations in India. For instance, the city of Rajasthan, which translates to "the land of kings," is derived from the word "Raja," reflecting the region's rich history of royal dynasties.
Notable individuals with the surname RAJA include Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833 CE), a prominent social reformer and the founder of the Brahmo Samaj movement, and Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906 CE), a celebrated Indian painter best known for his depictions of mythological and historical scenes.
Other famous individuals with the surname RAJA include Raja Ramanna (1925-2004 CE), an eminent Indian nuclear physicist and the architect of India's nuclear program, and Raja Rao (1908-2006 CE), a celebrated Indian writer and one of the pioneers of philosophical fiction in the English language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raja
Among Census respondents with the surname Raja, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Raja 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 Raja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.9% · 3,299
- White7.2% · 274
- Two or more races3.6% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 52
- Black or African American0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raja
Raja 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
#12,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,593
+1,040 bearers (+67.0%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 4,871 places
2020
#8,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,798
+1,205 bearers (+46.5%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Up 3,688 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,906 | 1,553 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,035 | 2,593 | 0.88 | +1,040 bearers (+67.0%) | Up 4,871 places |
| 2020 | #8,347 | 3,798 | 1.27 | +1,205 bearers (+46.5%) | Up 3,688 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 Raja 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 | #12,035 | #8,347 | 30.6% |
| Count | 2,593 | 3,798 | 46.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 1.27 | 44.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raja bearers went from 2,593 to 3,798 (+46.5% change). The surname moved up 3,688 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,035 to #8,347.
FAQ
Raja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raja?
Name Census estimates that about 4,355 living Americans carry the surname Raja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,704 residents.
How common is Raja?
Raja ranks #8,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,798 people with the surname Raja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,355), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Raja.
Has Raja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raja went from 2,593 recorded bearers to 3,798. That is an increase of 1,205 (+46.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,035 to #8,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Raja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raja, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (7.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Raja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (3,299 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.9%), White (7.2%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Raja (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 Raja mean?
A royal title or surname referring to a ruler, monarch, or princely status in several South Asian languages. 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 Raja (1.27 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 have the surname Raja?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.