2000
#60,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 310
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Rare Last name
Shrivastava
A Hindu surname denoting members of a historical priestly class or Brahmins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,267 Americans carry the last name Shrivastava. That puts it at #14,510 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 151,193 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shrivastava 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 Shrivastava with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 151,193
Census rank
#14,510
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,977 bearers of the surname Shrivastava in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14510th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrivastava, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shrivastava
The surname Shrivastava originated in India and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "shri" meaning prosperity, and "vasta" meaning dwelling or abode. Originally, it referred to wealthy landowners or merchants who lived in prosperous areas.
Shrivastava is a Brahmin surname, indicating that the earliest bearers belonged to the priestly class in the Hindu social hierarchy. The name was predominantly found in the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, where Brahmin communities have historically been concentrated.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shrivastava can be found in the Khajuraho inscriptions from the 11th century. These inscriptions mention a Brahmin named Shrivastava who was a renowned scholar and poet during the Chandela dynasty.
In the 14th century, a notable Shrivastava was Vidyapati, a celebrated Sanskrit poet and writer who served at the court of the Sultans of Bengal. His works, such as the "Purusha Pariksha" and "Kalika Purana," are considered literary masterpieces and have been widely studied and translated.
During the Mughal era, the Shrivastavas played a significant role in the administration and cultural life of the empire. One prominent figure was Raja Todar Mal Shrivastava, who served as the finance minister under the reign of Akbar the Great in the 16th century. He is credited with implementing important land revenue reforms and authoring the Ain-i-Akbari, a comprehensive document detailing the administration of the Mughal Empire.
In the 18th century, Kashinath Shrivastava was a renowned astrologer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. His works, such as the "Siddhanta Shiromani" and "Grahalāghava," were highly influential and are still studied by scholars today.
Another notable Shrivastava was Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, a renowned educationist, social reformer, and freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in India's struggle for independence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He founded the Banaras Hindu University, one of the most prestigious educational institutions in India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shrivastava
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrivastava, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Shrivastava 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 Shrivastava surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 1,886
- White2.5% · 50
- Two or more races1.2% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 11
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shrivastava
Shrivastava 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
#27,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 863
+553 bearers (+178.4%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 32,888 places
2020
#14,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,977
+1,114 bearers (+129.1%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 13,308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60,706 | 310 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,818 | 863 | 0.29 | +553 bearers (+178.4%) | Up 32,888 places |
| 2020 | #14,510 | 1,977 | 0.66 | +1,114 bearers (+129.1%) | Up 13,308 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 Shrivastava 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 | #27,818 | #14,510 | 47.8% |
| Count | 863 | 1,977 | 129.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.66 | 128.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shrivastava bearers went from 863 to 1,977 (+129.1% change). The surname moved up 13,308 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,818 to #14,510.
FAQ
Shrivastava surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shrivastava?
Name Census estimates that about 2,267 living Americans carry the surname Shrivastava. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 151,193 residents.
How common is Shrivastava?
Shrivastava ranks #14,510 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,977 people with the surname Shrivastava. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Shrivastava.
Has Shrivastava become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shrivastava went from 863 recorded bearers to 1,977. That is an increase of 1,114 (+129.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,818 to #14,510.
What does the Census say about the background of Shrivastava?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shrivastava, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Shrivastava in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (1,886 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shrivastava appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Shrivastava (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 Shrivastava mean?
A Hindu surname denoting members of a historical priestly class or Brahmins. 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 Shrivastava (0.66 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 Shrivastava?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.