2000
#19,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,254
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Uncommon Last name
Shrestha
A Nepalese surname indicating a high caste, originally derived from the Sanskrit word "shreshtha," meaning "the best."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,490 Americans carry the last name Shrestha. That puts it at #2,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shrestha 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 Shrestha with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,408
Census rank
#2,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,764 bearers of the surname Shrestha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrestha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shrestha
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrestha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Shrestha 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 Shrestha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 11,227
- White2.2% · 260
- Two or more races1.6% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 54
- Black or African American0.3% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shrestha
Shrestha 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
#6,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,535
+4,281 bearers (+341.4%)
Per 100,000 1.88
Rank movement Up 13,660 places
2020
#2,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,764
+6,229 bearers (+112.5%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Up 3,187 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,840 | 1,254 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,180 | 5,535 | 1.88 | +4,281 bearers (+341.4%) | Up 13,660 places |
| 2020 | #2,993 | 11,764 | 3.94 | +6,229 bearers (+112.5%) | Up 3,187 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 Shrestha 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 | #6,180 | #2,993 | 51.6% |
| Count | 5,535 | 11,764 | 112.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.88 | 3.94 | 109.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shrestha bearers went from 5,535 to 11,764 (+112.5% change). The surname moved up 3,187 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,180 to #2,993.
FAQ
Shrestha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shrestha?
Name Census estimates that about 13,490 living Americans carry the surname Shrestha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,408 residents.
How common is Shrestha?
Shrestha ranks #2,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,764 people with the surname Shrestha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,490), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Shrestha.
Has Shrestha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shrestha went from 5,535 recorded bearers to 11,764. That is an increase of 6,229 (+112.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,180 to #2,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Shrestha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrestha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Shrestha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (11,227 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shrestha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Shrestha (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 Shrestha mean?
A Nepalese surname indicating a high caste, originally derived from the Sanskrit word "shreshtha," meaning "the best." 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 Shrestha (3.94 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 Americans have the surname Shrestha?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.