2000
#12,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Sinha
A surname of Indian origin meaning "lion," often indicating Rajput or Kayastha heritage from northern and eastern India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,500 Americans carry the last name Sinha. That puts it at #5,167 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,701 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sinha 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 Sinha with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,701
Census rank
#5,167
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,540 bearers of the surname Sinha in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5167th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sinha
The surname SINHA originates from India, and its roots can be traced back to the ancient Sanskrit language. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Simha," which means "lion." This connection suggests that the surname may have been associated with individuals who possessed lion-like qualities, such as strength, courage, and valor.
SINHA is predominantly found in the eastern and northern regions of India, particularly in states like Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. The earliest recorded mentions of the name date back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various historical texts and inscriptions from the medieval period.
One notable historical reference to the SINHA surname can be found in the Khajuraho Inscriptions, a collection of ancient inscriptions from the Chandela dynasty in central India. These inscriptions, dating back to the 10th-11th centuries, mention several individuals bearing the SINHA surname, indicating the name's long-standing presence in the region.
The name SINHA has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For instance, the town of Sinhauli in Uttar Pradesh is believed to be derived from the same root as the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and certain geographical locations.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the SINHA surname, including:
1. Kalidas Sinha (1870-1944), an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
2. Sachchidananda Sinha (1892-1963), an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the Governor of Orissa and Uttar Pradesh during the British Raj.
3. Radha Vinod Sinha (1898-1963), an Indian politician and freedom fighter who was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
4. Shyam Nandan Sinha (1917-2003), an Indian lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of India from 1986 to 1988.
5. Yashwant Sinha (born 1937), an Indian politician and former diplomat who served as the Minister of Finance and Minister of External Affairs in the Government of India.
These individuals, spanning different eras and fields, have contributed significantly to various aspects of Indian society and have brought prominence to the SINHA surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sinha
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sinha 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 Sinha surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.9% · 6,012
- White3.6% · 238
- Two or more races3.2% · 211
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 33
- Black or African American0.5% · 31
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sinha
Sinha 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
#8,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,066
+1,706 bearers (+72.3%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 3,967 places
2020
#5,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,540
+2,474 bearers (+60.8%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Up 2,988 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,122 | 2,360 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,155 | 4,066 | 1.38 | +1,706 bearers (+72.3%) | Up 3,967 places |
| 2020 | #5,167 | 6,540 | 2.19 | +2,474 bearers (+60.8%) | Up 2,988 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 Sinha 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 | #8,155 | #5,167 | 36.6% |
| Count | 4,066 | 6,540 | 60.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 2.19 | 58.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sinha bearers went from 4,066 to 6,540 (+60.8% change). The surname moved up 2,988 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,155 to #5,167.
FAQ
Sinha surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sinha?
Name Census estimates that about 7,500 living Americans carry the surname Sinha. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,701 residents.
How common is Sinha?
Sinha ranks #5,167 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,540 people with the surname Sinha. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sinha.
Has Sinha become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sinha went from 4,066 recorded bearers to 6,540. That is an increase of 2,474 (+60.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,155 to #5,167.
What does the Census say about the background of Sinha?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sinha, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.9%. The next largest groups are White (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Sinha in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (6,012 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sinha appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.9%), White (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Sinha (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 Sinha mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning "lion," often indicating Rajput or Kayastha heritage from northern and eastern 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 Sinha (2.19 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 last name Sinha?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Sinha, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.