2000
#33,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 641
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Rare Last name
Tandon
A Hindu surname derived from the Sanskrit word for 'body' or 'self'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,976 Americans carry the last name Tandon. That puts it at #16,232 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 173,459 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tandon 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 Tandon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 173,459
Census rank
#16,232
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,723 bearers of the surname Tandon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16232nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tandon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tandon
The surname Tandon 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 emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
The name Tandon is derived from the Sanskrit word "tan," which means "body" or "self," and the suffix "don," which signifies a holder or keeper. This combination suggests that the name was originally associated with individuals who were guardians or protectors of their community or land.
Historical records indicate that the Tandon surname was prominent among the Brahmin caste in regions such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which mentions a prominent scholar and administrator named Bhavani Prasad Tandon.
In the 17th century, the Tandon family played a significant role in the court of the Nawabs of Awadh (modern-day Lucknow), where they held influential positions as advisors and ministers. One notable figure from this period was Raja Jagannath Tandon, who served as the Diwan (Prime Minister) under Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in the late 18th century.
Another prominent individual bearing the Tandon surname was Purushottam Das Tandon, a prominent freedom fighter and one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress during the struggle for independence from British rule. He was born in 1882 and played a pivotal role in the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
In the realm of literature, Bhagwati Charan Varma, also known as Raskavi Raghuvir, was a renowned Hindi poet and writer from the Tandon family, born in 1867. His works, such as "Granthamala" and "Rasraj," significantly contributed to the development of modern Hindi literature.
Additionally, Vijayalakshmi Pandit, an influential diplomat and politician, was born into the Tandon family in 1900. She served as the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly and played a crucial role in shaping India's foreign policy during the early years of independence.
While the Tandon surname has its roots in ancient India, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the cultural and political landscapes of the Indian subcontinent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tandon
Among Census respondents with the surname Tandon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tandon 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 Tandon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.0% · 1,516
- White5.7% · 99
- Two or more races4.8% · 83
- Black or African American0.9% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tandon
Tandon 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
#21,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,197
+556 bearers (+86.7%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 11,827 places
2020
#16,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,723
+526 bearers (+43.9%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 5,504 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,563 | 641 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,736 | 1,197 | 0.41 | +556 bearers (+86.7%) | Up 11,827 places |
| 2020 | #16,232 | 1,723 | 0.58 | +526 bearers (+43.9%) | Up 5,504 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 Tandon 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 | #21,736 | #16,232 | 25.3% |
| Count | 1,197 | 1,723 | 43.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.58 | 40.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tandon bearers went from 1,197 to 1,723 (+43.9% change). The surname moved up 5,504 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,736 to #16,232.
FAQ
Tandon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tandon?
Name Census estimates that about 1,976 living Americans carry the surname Tandon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 173,459 residents.
How common is Tandon?
Tandon ranks #16,232 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.58 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 1,723 people with the surname Tandon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,976), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.58 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 Tandon.
Has Tandon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tandon went from 1,197 recorded bearers to 1,723. That is an increase of 526 (+43.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,736 to #16,232.
What does the Census say about the background of Tandon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tandon, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.0%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Tandon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (1,516 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tandon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.0%), White (5.7%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Tandon (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 Tandon mean?
A Hindu surname derived from the Sanskrit word for 'body' or 'self'. 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 Tandon (0.58 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 share the surname Tandon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.