2000
#22,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,092
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Shetty
A surname of Tulu origin indicating a person from the Bunt community of Karnataka, India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,500 Americans carry the last name Shetty. That puts it at #8,088 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,168 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shetty 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 Shetty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,168
Census rank
#8,088
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,924 bearers of the surname Shetty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8088th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shetty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shetty
The surname Shetty is of Indian origin, specifically from the southwestern state of Karnataka. It traces its roots back to the 15th century or earlier during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire. The name is derived from the Kannada word "shetty" which means "merchant" or "landowner."
Shetties were a prominent community of traders, bankers, and landowners who played a significant role in the economic and cultural life of Karnataka. They were often involved in international trade and formed a crucial link between the hinterlands and the coastal regions of the state.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Shetty can be found in inscriptions and literary works from the 16th century. One notable example is the Shetty family mentioned in the "Keladi Nripa Vijayam," a historical work chronicling the reign of the Keladi Nayakas, a powerful dynasty that ruled parts of Karnataka between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Over the centuries, the Shetty surname has been associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Shivappa Nayaka Shetty, a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from the 17th century who is credited with building numerous temples and public buildings in the city of Mangalore.
Another prominent Shetty was Govind Prabhu Shetty, a renowned scholar and author who lived in the 18th century. His works, such as "Madhva Vijaya" and "Sarva Moola Grantha," were influential in preserving and propagating the Dvaita philosophy of Madhvacharya.
In the realm of literature, the name Shetty is often associated with the celebrated Kannada writer and playwright, T.P. Kailasam (1884-1946). His plays and novels, such as "Tollu Gatti" and "Sanna Kathegalu," explored the lives and struggles of the common people and are considered classics in Kannada literature.
The 19th century saw the rise of another notable Shetty, Pramoda Devi Shetty (1857-1952), who was a pioneering educator and social reformer. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Mangalore and played a pivotal role in promoting women's education in the region.
In more recent times, the Shetty surname has gained global recognition through individuals like Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, a renowned cardiac surgeon and philanthropist who founded the Narayana Health group of hospitals, providing affordable healthcare to millions.
While the Shetty surname has its roots in Karnataka, it has since spread to other parts of India and the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the name's strong association with the rich cultural and commercial heritage of the region remains a source of pride and identity for those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shetty
Among Census respondents with the surname Shetty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Shetty 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 Shetty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.2% · 3,656
- White3.2% · 125
- Two or more races2.3% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 33
- Black or African American0.3% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shetty
Shetty 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
#13,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,213
+1,121 bearers (+102.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 8,416 places
2020
#8,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,924
+1,711 bearers (+77.3%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Up 5,594 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,098 | 1,092 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,682 | 2,213 | 0.75 | +1,121 bearers (+102.7%) | Up 8,416 places |
| 2020 | #8,088 | 3,924 | 1.31 | +1,711 bearers (+77.3%) | Up 5,594 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 Shetty 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 | #13,682 | #8,088 | 40.9% |
| Count | 2,213 | 3,924 | 77.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 1.31 | 75.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shetty bearers went from 2,213 to 3,924 (+77.3% change). The surname moved up 5,594 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,682 to #8,088.
FAQ
Shetty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shetty?
Name Census estimates that about 4,500 living Americans carry the surname Shetty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,168 residents.
How common is Shetty?
Shetty ranks #8,088 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 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 3,924 people with the surname Shetty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 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 Shetty.
Has Shetty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shetty went from 2,213 recorded bearers to 3,924. That is an increase of 1,711 (+77.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,682 to #8,088.
What does the Census say about the background of Shetty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shetty, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Shetty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (3,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shetty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.2%), White (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Shetty (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 Shetty mean?
A surname of Tulu origin indicating a person from the Bunt community of Karnataka, India. 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 Shetty (1.31 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 common is the surname Shetty?
Find out how common the surname Shetty is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.