2000
#19,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,303
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Randhawa
A Jat clan surname found in the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan, with origins in the Majha region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,558 Americans carry the last name Randhawa. That puts it at #9,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,333 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Randhawa 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 Randhawa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 96,333
Census rank
#9,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,103 bearers of the surname Randhawa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Randhawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Randhawa
The surname Randhawa originated in the Punjab region of South Asia, specifically in present-day India and Pakistan. It is an ancient Punjabi name that can be traced back to the 16th century or earlier. The name is derived from the combination of two Punjabi words, "rand," meaning a warrior or soldier, and "hawa," meaning air or wind. Thus, the name Randhawa originally referred to a person who was swift and agile like the wind in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Randhawa can be found in historical documents from the Mughal Empire, which ruled over the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century. During this period, the Randhawa clan was known as a prominent Jat community based in the present-day Punjab region. They were recognized for their military prowess and played a significant role in various battles and conflicts.
In the 18th century, the Randhawa clan gained prominence under the leadership of Bhai Bhagwan Singh Randhawa, who was a renowned warrior and commander. He led the Randhawa forces in several battles against the Afghan invaders and the Mughal rulers. Bhai Bhagwan Singh Randhawa's exploits and bravery were widely celebrated in Punjabi folklore and literature.
Another notable figure bearing the Randhawa surname was Rai Ahmad Khan Randhawa, a powerful chieftain who ruled over the Randhawa territory in the late 18th century. He was instrumental in establishing the Randhawa clan as a dominant force in the region and played a crucial role in the power dynamics of the time.
In the 19th century, the Randhawa surname appeared in various historical records and documents related to the Punjab region. During this period, the British colonial administration in India systematically documented and recorded the names and genealogies of prominent families and clans, including the Randhawas.
One distinguished individual with the Randhawa surname from this era was Sir Chhotu Ram Randhawa, a prominent politician and social reformer. He was born in 1881 and played a significant role in advocating for the rights and welfare of the peasant communities in Punjab. Sir Chhotu Ram Randhawa's contributions to the political and social landscape of Punjab earned him widespread recognition.
Other notable figures with the Randhawa surname include Bhai Vir Singh Randhawa, a renowned Punjabi writer and theologian from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Gurdial Singh Randhawa, a renowned botanist and environmentalist born in 1912, who made significant contributions to the field of plant ecology and conservation in India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Randhawa
Among Census respondents with the surname Randhawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Randhawa 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 Randhawa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.0% · 2,885
- White2.6% · 80
- Two or more races2.4% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Randhawa
Randhawa 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
#13,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,222
+919 bearers (+70.5%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 5,621 places
2020
#9,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,103
+881 bearers (+39.6%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Up 3,692 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,248 | 1,303 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,627 | 2,222 | 0.75 | +919 bearers (+70.5%) | Up 5,621 places |
| 2020 | #9,935 | 3,103 | 1.04 | +881 bearers (+39.6%) | Up 3,692 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 Randhawa 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 | #13,627 | #9,935 | 27.1% |
| Count | 2,222 | 3,103 | 39.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 1.04 | 38.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Randhawa bearers went from 2,222 to 3,103 (+39.6% change). The surname moved up 3,692 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,627 to #9,935.
FAQ
Randhawa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Randhawa?
Name Census estimates that about 3,558 living Americans carry the surname Randhawa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,333 residents.
How common is Randhawa?
Randhawa ranks #9,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 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 3,103 people with the surname Randhawa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,558), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 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 Randhawa.
Has Randhawa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Randhawa went from 2,222 recorded bearers to 3,103. That is an increase of 881 (+39.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,627 to #9,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Randhawa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Randhawa, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Randhawa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (2,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Randhawa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.0%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Randhawa (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 Randhawa mean?
A Jat clan surname found in the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan, with origins in the Majha region. 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 Randhawa (1.04 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 Randhawa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.