2000
#31,235
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 702
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Rani
A name of Indian origin meaning "queen" or "female ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,568 Americans carry the last name Rani. That puts it at #13,099 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 133,471 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rani 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 Rani with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 133,471
Census rank
#13,099
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,239 bearers of the surname Rani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13099th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rani
The surname "Rani" has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Rani," which means "queen" or "princess." The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period when it was commonly used as a title for the wives or consorts of rulers and noblemen.
In ancient Indian texts and manuscripts, such as the Puranas and epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the term "Rani" is frequently mentioned in reference to the wives of kings and princes. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the famous Sanskrit play "Abhijñānaśākuntalam" (The Recognition of Shakuntala) by the renowned poet Kalidasa, who lived in the 4th-5th century CE.
The name "Rani" has also been associated with several historical figures throughout India's rich history. One notable example is Rani Avanti Bai, the queen of the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who lived in the 17th century. Another famous bearer of the name was Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, a prominent figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the British East India Company.
During the medieval and early modern periods, the surname "Rani" was often adopted by families with royal or noble lineages, particularly in the northern regions of India. This practice was not uncommon, as surnames were often derived from titles, occupations, or personal characteristics.
In more recent times, the name "Rani" has been associated with several influential individuals, such as Rani Hazarika (1904-1947), a renowned Assamese poet and writer, and Rani Mukerji (born 1978), a prominent Indian actress who has received numerous accolades for her work in Bollywood films.
While the surname "Rani" is predominantly found in the Indian subcontinent, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Regardless of its geographic location, the name continues to carry a sense of regal and noble connotations, reflecting its rich historical and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rani
Among Census respondents with the surname Rani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Rani 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 Rani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.6% · 2,140
- White2.3% · 51
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- Two or more races0.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rani
Rani 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
#19,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,415
+713 bearers (+101.6%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 12,046 places
2020
#13,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,239
+824 bearers (+58.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 6,090 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,235 | 702 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,189 | 1,415 | 0.48 | +713 bearers (+101.6%) | Up 12,046 places |
| 2020 | #13,099 | 2,239 | 0.75 | +824 bearers (+58.2%) | Up 6,090 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 Rani 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 | #19,189 | #13,099 | 31.7% |
| Count | 1,415 | 2,239 | 58.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.75 | 56.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rani bearers went from 1,415 to 2,239 (+58.2% change). The surname moved up 6,090 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,189 to #13,099.
FAQ
Rani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rani?
Name Census estimates that about 2,568 living Americans carry the surname Rani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 133,471 residents.
How common is Rani?
Rani ranks #13,099 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,239 people with the surname Rani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,568), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Rani.
Has Rani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rani went from 1,415 recorded bearers to 2,239. That is an increase of 824 (+58.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,189 to #13,099.
What does the Census say about the background of Rani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Black (0.7%). 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 Rani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (2,140 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.6%), White (2.3%), Black (0.7%). 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 Rani (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 Rani mean?
A name of Indian origin meaning "queen" or "female ruler." 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 Rani (0.75 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 share the surname Rani?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.