2000
#26,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Sahota
A surname of Punjabi origin indicating a caste or village name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,080 Americans carry the last name Sahota. That puts it at #15,530 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,786 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sahota 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 Sahota with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,786
Census rank
#15,530
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,814 bearers of the surname Sahota in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15530th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sahota, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sahota
The surname Sahota originated from the Indian subcontinent, with its roots traced back to the Punjab region. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "sahaya," which means "helper" or "companion." The name likely emerged during the medieval period, when surnames became more prevalent in the region.
One of the earliest known references to the Sahota name can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This historical record mentions individuals with the surname Sahota serving in various capacities within the imperial administration.
The Sahota surname has also been associated with certain village or town names in the Punjab region, such as Sahota Kalan and Sahota Khurd. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname or vice versa, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
Prominent historical figures bearing the Sahota surname include Bhai Sahota, a revered Sikh warrior who lived during the 17th century and participated in numerous battles against the Mughal forces. Another notable individual was Bhai Mani Singh Sahota (1644-1734), a renowned Sikh scholar and scribe who played a crucial role in compiling and preserving the Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of Sikhism.
In the 19th century, Sardar Sham Singh Sahota (1822-1887) was a prominent figure in the Sikh Empire, serving as a general under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He was known for his bravery and military prowess in various campaigns against the British forces.
During the early 20th century, Sardar Bahadur Sir Sundar Singh Sahota (1872-1942) was a distinguished politician and philanthropist. He served as a member of the Legislative Council of Punjab and was widely respected for his contributions to education and social welfare initiatives.
Over the centuries, the Sahota surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including warriors, scholars, politicians, and community leaders, reflecting the diverse historical background and significance of this name in the Punjab region and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sahota
Among Census respondents with the surname Sahota, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sahota 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 Sahota surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.7% · 1,682
- White3.4% · 62
- Two or more races1.8% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 28
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sahota
Sahota 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
#19,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,412
+533 bearers (+60.6%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 6,940 places
2020
#15,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
+402 bearers (+28.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 3,693 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,163 | 879 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,223 | 1,412 | 0.48 | +533 bearers (+60.6%) | Up 6,940 places |
| 2020 | #15,530 | 1,814 | 0.61 | +402 bearers (+28.5%) | Up 3,693 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 Sahota 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 | #19,223 | #15,530 | 19.2% |
| Count | 1,412 | 1,814 | 28.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.48 | 0.61 | 26.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sahota bearers went from 1,412 to 1,814 (+28.5% change). The surname moved up 3,693 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,223 to #15,530.
FAQ
Sahota surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sahota?
Name Census estimates that about 2,080 living Americans carry the surname Sahota. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,786 residents.
How common is Sahota?
Sahota ranks #15,530 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,814 people with the surname Sahota. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,080), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Sahota.
Has Sahota become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sahota went from 1,412 recorded bearers to 1,814. That is an increase of 402 (+28.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,223 to #15,530.
What does the Census say about the background of Sahota?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sahota, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.7%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sahota in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (1,682 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sahota appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.7%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Sahota (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 Sahota mean?
A surname of Punjabi origin indicating a caste or village name. 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 Sahota (0.61 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 surname Sahota?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.