Find out how popular the last name Shrestha is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shrestha.

Shrestha, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shrestha surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shrestha in America

Shrestha is the 6180th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shrestha surname appeared 5,535 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shrestha.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shrestha to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shrestha

The surname Shrestha originated in Nepal and has its roots in the Sanskrit language. It is derived from the word "Shreshtha," which means "excellent" or "superior." The name was initially used to denote individuals of high social status or those belonging to the elite class in ancient Nepali society.

The earliest known references to the Shrestha surname can be traced back to the Licchavis, a powerful dynasty that ruled the Kathmandu Valley from the 3rd to the 9th century AD. During this period, the Shrestha name was associated with members of the ruling class and influential families.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Shrestha name can be found in the Gopalraj Vamshavali, a historical manuscript dating back to the 14th century. This text mentions several prominent individuals bearing the Shrestha surname, including Araniko (1245-1306), a renowned Nepali artist and architect who worked in China during the Yuan Dynasty.

The Shrestha surname was also documented in various manuscripts and chronicles from the Malla period (12th to 18th century), when the Kathmandu Valley was divided into three independent kingdoms. Prominent figures from this era included Jaya Sthiti Malla (1382-1395), the ruler of Bhaktapur, and Ratna Malla (1484-1520), the king of Kantipur (present-day Kathmandu).

During the Shah Dynasty (1768-2008), the Shrestha surname continued to be associated with influential families and individuals. One notable figure was Kaji Kalu Pandey Shrestha (1838-1900), a prominent military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the unification of Nepal.

Other famous individuals with the Shrestha surname include Balram Shrestha (1915-2004), a renowned Nepali writer and poet, and Pushpa Lal Shrestha (1923-2012), a respected historian and scholar who made significant contributions to the preservation of Nepali culture and heritage.

Throughout its history, the Shrestha surname has maintained its association with prestige and excellence, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of Nepal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shrestha

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shrestha.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shrestha was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shrestha has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shrestha was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shrestha, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!