2000
#30,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 710
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Sekhon
A Punjabi surname derived from the name Sikh, referring to adherents of the Sikh faith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,056 Americans carry the last name Sekhon. That puts it at #15,680 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 166,709 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sekhon 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 Sekhon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 166,709
Census rank
#15,680
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,793 bearers of the surname Sekhon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15680th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sekhon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sekhon
The surname Sekhon has its origins in the Punjab region of South Asia, specifically among the Sikh community. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Shekha," which means "crest" or "crown." The name likely originated as a title or honorific bestowed upon individuals or families of high social standing or accomplishment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Sekhon can be traced back to the 16th century, during the reign of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. The Sikh community played a significant role in the military and administrative ranks of the Mughal government, and it is possible that the name Sekhon was first adopted by individuals in these positions.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the name Sekhon was Bhai Mani Singh (1644-1734), a revered Sikh scholar and warrior who played a crucial role in preserving and propagating the teachings of Sikhism. He was a highly respected figure in the Sikh community and is remembered for his contributions to Sikh literature and his bravery in battles against the Mughal forces.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, as the Sikh Empire rose to prominence under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sekhon name became associated with prominent families and individuals within the Sikh aristocracy. Sardar Desa Singh Sekhon (1766-1834) was a renowned military commander who served under Maharaja Ranjit Singh and played a crucial role in the expansion of the Sikh Empire.
Another notable figure from this period was Sardar Lehna Singh Sekhon (1790-1860), a Sikh warrior and military leader who fought against the British East India Company during the Anglo-Sikh Wars. He was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield and is remembered as a hero in Sikh history.
In more recent times, Gurbachan Singh Sekhon (1919-1963) was an Indian Air Force officer who received the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor, for his extraordinary courage and sacrifice during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948. His actions in defending the Srinagar airfield against Pakistani forces are celebrated as a defining moment in the history of the Indian Air Force.
Another notable figure bearing the name Sekhon was Kulbir Singh Sekhon (1919-1992), a Sikh politician and member of the Indian National Congress party. He served as a member of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, representing the Ferozepur constituency in Punjab.
The surname Sekhon continues to be prominent among the Sikh community, particularly in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, as well as among the Sikh diaspora around the world. While the name has evolved over time, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Sikh tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sekhon
Among Census respondents with the surname Sekhon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sekhon 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 Sekhon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.4% · 1,639
- White4.4% · 79
- Two or more races2.8% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sekhon
Sekhon 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
#21,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,231
+521 bearers (+73.4%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 9,641 places
2020
#15,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,793
+562 bearers (+45.7%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 5,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,929 | 710 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,288 | 1,231 | 0.42 | +521 bearers (+73.4%) | Up 9,641 places |
| 2020 | #15,680 | 1,793 | 0.60 | +562 bearers (+45.7%) | Up 5,608 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 Sekhon 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 | #21,288 | #15,680 | 26.3% |
| Count | 1,231 | 1,793 | 45.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.60 | 42.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sekhon bearers went from 1,231 to 1,793 (+45.7% change). The surname moved up 5,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,288 to #15,680.
FAQ
Sekhon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sekhon?
Name Census estimates that about 2,056 living Americans carry the surname Sekhon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 166,709 residents.
How common is Sekhon?
Sekhon ranks #15,680 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,793 people with the surname Sekhon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,056), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Sekhon.
Has Sekhon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sekhon went from 1,231 recorded bearers to 1,793. That is an increase of 562 (+45.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,288 to #15,680.
What does the Census say about the background of Sekhon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sekhon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.4%. The next largest groups are White (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Sekhon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (1,639 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sekhon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.4%), White (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Sekhon (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 Sekhon mean?
A Punjabi surname derived from the name Sikh, referring to adherents of the Sikh faith. 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 Sekhon (0.60 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 Sekhon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.