2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Risha
A surname of uncertain origin possibly derived from a nickname.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Risha. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Risha 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Risha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Risha, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Risha
The surname RISHA has its origins in South Asia, specifically in the Indian subcontinent, and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "rishika," which means a sage or a hermit. The name was likely adopted by individuals or families who lived a religious or ascetic lifestyle.
The earliest known historical reference to the surname RISHA can be found in a manuscript from the Mughal period, dated around 1580. This document records the name of a Hindu scholar and poet named Risha Bhatta, who was recognized for his contributions to Sanskrit literature.
In the 17th century, the RISHA surname appeared in various records from the princely states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. During this time, the spelling variations included "Risha," "Rishha," and "Rishya." Some notable individuals with this surname from this era were Risha Durlabh (1605-1678), a renowned physician and author, and Risha Narayan (1640-1712), a celebrated poet and playwright.
The RISHA surname continued to be prevalent in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly in the regions of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. One prominent figure was Risha Chandra (1785-1845), a scholar and reformer who advocated for women's education and social reforms.
In the early 20th century, the RISHA surname was also found in parts of modern-day Pakistan, where it was sometimes associated with place names like Rishalpur and Rishapur. One notable individual from this period was Risha Ahmed Khan (1895-1972), a prominent politician and activist who played a significant role in the independence movement of Pakistan.
Throughout history, several other individuals with the surname RISHA have made their mark in various fields, such as Risha Sharma (1920-1995), a celebrated author and poet; Risha Praveen (1935-2010), a renowned classical dancer; and Risha Srinivasan (1955-present), a pioneering computer scientist and entrepreneur.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Risha
Among Census respondents with the surname Risha, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Risha 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 Risha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.1% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Risha
Risha 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,374 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,374 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,354 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 Risha 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 | #140,157 | #143,511 | -2.4% |
| Count | 119 | 118 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Risha bearers went from 119 to 118 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #143,511.
FAQ
Risha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Risha?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Risha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Risha?
Risha ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Risha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Risha.
Has Risha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Risha went from 119 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Risha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Risha, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%) and Hispanic (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Risha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Risha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.6%), Hispanic (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 Risha (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 Risha mean?
A surname of uncertain origin possibly derived from a nickname. 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 Risha (0.04 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 people have the last name Risha?
Want to know how common the surname Risha is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.