2000
#34,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 623
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Ravi
A Hindu surname of Sanskrit origin meaning 'the sun'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,858 Americans carry the last name Ravi. That puts it at #11,982 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ravi 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 Ravi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 119,928
Census rank
#11,982
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,492 bearers of the surname Ravi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11982nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ravi
The surname Ravi is believed to have originated in India, particularly in the northern and central regions. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "ravi," which means "sun" or "sun god." The name is often associated with the Hindu sun god, Surya.
In ancient Indian texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and Puranas, the name Ravi is frequently mentioned in connection with various deities, rituals, and celestial bodies. This suggests that the name has been in use for centuries, potentially dating back to the ancient Vedic period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ravi can be found in the Rig Veda, one of the oldest Indian scriptures, which dates back to around 1500 BCE. In this text, the name Ravi is used as an epithet for the sun god, Surya.
During the medieval period, the name Ravi was also associated with several prominent figures in Indian history and literature. For example, Ravi Prasad, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet, lived in the 16th century and is known for his works on Hindu philosophy and religion.
Another notable individual with the surname Ravi was Ravi Varma, an Indian painter and artist from the 19th century. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in the modern era of Indian art and is famous for his depictions of Hindu mythology and traditional Indian life.
In the 20th century, several influential individuals have borne the surname Ravi. One such person is Ravi Shankar, an Indian musician and composer who is widely credited with popularizing Indian classical music on a global scale. Born in 1920 and passing away in 2012, he was a highly influential figure in the world of music.
Another notable individual with the surname Ravi is Ravi Zacharias, a Canadian-American Christian apologist and author. Born in 1946 and passing away in 2020, he was known for his work in Christian apologetics and his defense of the Christian faith through public lectures and writings.
Ravi Teja, an Indian actor and film producer, is another prominent figure with this surname. Born in 1968, he has appeared in numerous Telugu films and is considered one of the most successful and popular actors in the Telugu cinema industry.
While the surname Ravi is primarily associated with India, it has also been adopted by individuals of Indian descent in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with significant Indian diaspora populations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ravi
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ravi 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 Ravi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.7% · 2,360
- White3.0% · 75
- Two or more races1.3% · 32
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ravi
Ravi 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
#19,498
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,385
+762 bearers (+122.3%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 14,901 places
2020
#11,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,492
+1,107 bearers (+79.9%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 7,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,399 | 623 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,498 | 1,385 | 0.47 | +762 bearers (+122.3%) | Up 14,901 places |
| 2020 | #11,982 | 2,492 | 0.83 | +1,107 bearers (+79.9%) | Up 7,516 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 Ravi 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 | #19,498 | #11,982 | 38.5% |
| Count | 1,385 | 2,492 | 79.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.83 | 77.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ravi bearers went from 1,385 to 2,492 (+79.9% change). The surname moved up 7,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,498 to #11,982.
FAQ
Ravi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ravi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,858 living Americans carry the surname Ravi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,928 residents.
How common is Ravi?
Ravi ranks #11,982 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,492 people with the surname Ravi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,858), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Ravi.
Has Ravi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ravi went from 1,385 recorded bearers to 2,492. That is an increase of 1,107 (+79.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,498 to #11,982.
What does the Census say about the background of Ravi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ravi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Ravi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (2,360 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ravi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.7%), White (3.0%), Two or More Races (1.3%). 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 Ravi (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 Ravi mean?
A Hindu surname of Sanskrit origin meaning 'the sun'. 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 Ravi (0.83 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 Ravi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.