2000
#18,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,396
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Raman
A Sanskrit-derived surname referring to someone who delights in or takes pleasure in something.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,187 Americans carry the last name Raman. That puts it at #10,948 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,548 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raman 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 Raman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,548
Census rank
#10,948
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,779 bearers of the surname Raman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10948th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raman, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raman
The surname RAMAN is of Indian origin, tracing its roots back to ancient Sanskrit. It is derived from the word 'Raman,' which means 'one who delights' or 'one who rejoices.' This name gained prominence during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE.
The RAMAN surname is closely associated with the Brahmin caste, particularly in the southern regions of India. It is believed that many individuals from this community adopted the name as a reflection of their spiritual inclinations and reverence for the divine.
In ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions, such as the Vedas and Puranas, there are references to individuals bearing the RAMAN name. One notable example is the sage Raman, who is mentioned in the Ramayana epic as a wise and learned scholar.
The earliest recorded instances of the RAMAN surname can be traced back to the 6th century CE, during the reign of the Chalukya dynasty in the Deccan plateau region of India. Several inscriptions and copper plates from this era mention individuals with the RAMAN surname, often in the context of scholarly or religious pursuits.
Over the centuries, the RAMAN surname has been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, in the state of Tamil Nadu, there is a town called Rameswaram, which is derived from the name Raman. Similarly, in the state of Kerala, there is a place called Ramankutty, which means 'the son of Raman.'
Notable individuals with the RAMAN surname include:
1. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (1888-1970), an Indian physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his groundbreaking work on the scattering of light, now known as the Raman Effect.
2. N. Raman (1908-1988), an Indian musician and composer who specialized in Carnatic music and was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1968.
3. V.S. Raman (1905-1975), an Indian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of partial differential equations and fluid dynamics.
4. V.K. Raman (1932-2019), an Indian writer and journalist known for his works on Indian culture, history, and spirituality, including the book "Hinduism: An Integral Vision."
5. R. Raman (1916-1996), an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked primarily in the Tamil film industry and directed notable movies such as "Panam" and "Thaikku Thalaimagan."
The RAMAN surname has a rich history and cultural significance, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. It has been associated with scholarly and artistic pursuits, as well as spiritual and religious traditions, reflecting the diverse and profound heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raman
Among Census respondents with the surname Raman, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Raman 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 Raman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander84.3% · 2,343
- White7.6% · 212
- Two or more races4.2% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 70
- Black or African American1.0% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raman
Raman 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
#14,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,131
+735 bearers (+52.7%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 4,219 places
2020
#10,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,779
+648 bearers (+30.4%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 3,157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,324 | 1,396 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,105 | 2,131 | 0.72 | +735 bearers (+52.7%) | Up 4,219 places |
| 2020 | #10,948 | 2,779 | 0.93 | +648 bearers (+30.4%) | Up 3,157 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 Raman 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 | #14,105 | #10,948 | 22.4% |
| Count | 2,131 | 2,779 | 30.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.93 | 29.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raman bearers went from 2,131 to 2,779 (+30.4% change). The surname moved up 3,157 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,105 to #10,948.
FAQ
Raman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,187 living Americans carry the surname Raman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,548 residents.
How common is Raman?
Raman ranks #10,948 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 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 2,779 people with the surname Raman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,187), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 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 Raman.
Has Raman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raman went from 2,131 recorded bearers to 2,779. That is an increase of 648 (+30.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,105 to #10,948.
What does the Census say about the background of Raman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raman, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) 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 Raman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (2,343 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (84.3%), White (7.6%), 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 Raman (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 Raman mean?
A Sanskrit-derived surname referring to someone who delights in or takes pleasure in something. 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 Raman (0.93 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 common is the surname Raman?
Find out how many people are called Raman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.