2000
#32,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 659
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Rare Last name
Singhal
A surname originating in India, sometimes denoting a person belonging to a business community.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,402 Americans carry the last name Singhal. That puts it at #13,814 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Singhal 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 Singhal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,695
Census rank
#13,814
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,095 bearers of the surname Singhal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13814th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Singhal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Singhal
The surname Singhal is of Indian origin, specifically from the northern regions of the country. It traces its roots back to the Sanskrit language and is believed to have originated sometime around the 5th or 6th century CE. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "singha," which means "lion" or "courageous."
Historically, the Singhal surname was associated with the Kshatriya (warrior) caste in ancient Indian society. The name was often given to individuals who displayed bravery and strength in battle or leadership roles. Some early references to the name can be found in ancient Hindu texts and manuscripts, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Singhal surname dates back to the 9th century CE. Amir Khusrau, a renowned Sufi poet and scholar from Delhi, mentioned a ruler named Singhal Deva in his writings. Singhal Deva was a prominent figure in the Chauhan dynasty, which ruled over parts of present-day Rajasthan and Delhi during the 12th century.
During the medieval period, the Singhal surname was also associated with the ruling classes and nobility in various regions of northern India. Prominent individuals bearing this surname include Maharaja Singhal Singh Bahadur (1708-1764), a powerful ruler of the Jaipur state, and Raja Singhal Suraj Mal (1707-1763), the founder of the city of Bharatpur.
In more recent history, several notable figures have carried the Singhal surname. Ranjit Singhal (1924-2012) was an eminent Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to various nations. Vinod Singhal (1943-2021) was a celebrated Indian actor and comedian known for his performances in numerous Bollywood films and television shows.
Another prominent individual was Dr. Jagdish Singhal (1919-2004), a pioneering Indian-American scientist and engineer who made significant contributions to the fields of aerospace and computer technology. He worked on several important projects for NASA, including the Apollo program.
The Singhal surname has also been associated with various literary figures and scholars throughout history. One example is Sher Singh Singhal (1917-1991), a renowned Punjabi poet and writer who received several prestigious awards for his literary works.
While the Singhal surname originated in northern India, it has since spread to other parts of the subcontinent and across the globe due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its roots and historical significance can be traced back to the ancient warrior classes and ruling dynasties of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Singhal
Among Census respondents with the surname Singhal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Singhal 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 Singhal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.5% · 1,937
- White3.8% · 79
- Two or more races2.3% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Singhal
Singhal 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
#21,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,236
+577 bearers (+87.6%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Up 11,595 places
2020
#13,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,095
+859 bearers (+69.5%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 7,414 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,823 | 659 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,228 | 1,236 | 0.42 | +577 bearers (+87.6%) | Up 11,595 places |
| 2020 | #13,814 | 2,095 | 0.70 | +859 bearers (+69.5%) | Up 7,414 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 Singhal 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 | #21,228 | #13,814 | 34.9% |
| Count | 1,236 | 2,095 | 69.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.42 | 0.70 | 66.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Singhal bearers went from 1,236 to 2,095 (+69.5% change). The surname moved up 7,414 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,228 to #13,814.
FAQ
Singhal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Singhal?
Name Census estimates that about 2,402 living Americans carry the surname Singhal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,695 residents.
How common is Singhal?
Singhal ranks #13,814 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,095 people with the surname Singhal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,402), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Singhal.
Has Singhal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Singhal went from 1,236 recorded bearers to 2,095. That is an increase of 859 (+69.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,228 to #13,814.
What does the Census say about the background of Singhal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Singhal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) 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 Singhal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,937 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Singhal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.5%), White (3.8%), 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 Singhal (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 Singhal mean?
A surname originating in India, sometimes denoting a person belonging to a business community. 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 Singhal (0.70 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 have the surname Singhal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.