2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Samit
A surname potentially of Indian origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "samit" meaning "assembly" or "meeting".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Samit. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samit 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Samit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samit, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samit
The surname SAMIT is believed to have originated in India, where it was likely derived from the Sanskrit word "samita," which means "measured" or "limited." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who was known for their measured or disciplined nature.
In ancient Indian texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, there are references to individuals with names similar to SAMIT, indicating that the name has been in use for centuries. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Mahabharata, an epic Sanskrit poem dating back to around the 8th century BCE, where a warrior named Samitinjaya is mentioned.
During the medieval period, the name SAMIT was prevalent among the Hindu and Buddhist communities in India. It is worth noting that in some regions, the name was also spelled as "Sameet" or "Samith," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
One of the most notable individuals with the surname SAMIT was Acharya Samit Sharan (1894-1978), a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on Hindu philosophy and spirituality. Another prominent figure was Dr. Raghunath Samit (1920-2005), a pioneering Indian scientist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.
In more recent times, the name SAMIT has been carried by individuals from various fields, including:
1. Samit Basu (born 1979), an Indian science fiction and fantasy writer known for his works such as "The Simoqin Prophecies" and "Turbulence."
2. Samit Patel (born 1984), an English cricketer who has represented England in both Test and One Day International matches.
3. Samit Ghosh (born 1962), an Indian business executive and the former CEO of Ujjivan Financial Services, a leading microfinance institution in India.
4. Samit Mukherjee (born 1956), an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter known for his critically acclaimed films like "Hava Aag" and "Samantara."
5. Samit Chakraborty (born 1974), an Indian classical vocalist and composer who has performed extensively both in India and abroad.
While the surname SAMIT is not as common outside of India, it has been carried by individuals from various parts of the world, reflecting the global diaspora of people with Indian roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samit
Among Census respondents with the surname Samit, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Samit 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 Samit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.9% · 87
- Asian and Pacific Islander19.0% · 23
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samit
Samit appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+5 bearers (+4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,840 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.3%) | Up 1,840 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 Samit 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 | #143,149 | #141,309 | 1.3% |
| Count | 116 | 121 | 4.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samit bearers went from 116 to 121 (+4.3% change). The surname moved up 1,840 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #141,309.
FAQ
Samit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samit?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Samit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Samit?
Samit ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Samit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Samit.
Has Samit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samit went from 116 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 5 (+4.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #143,149 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Samit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samit, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Samit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.9% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (19.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Samit (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 Samit mean?
A surname potentially of Indian origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "samit" meaning "assembly" or "meeting". 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 Samit (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 surname Samit?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.