2000
#34,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 620
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Tripathi
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit root "tri-path" meaning "at the three paths" or "at the crossroads".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,095 Americans carry the last name Tripathi. That puts it at #11,207 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,745 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tripathi 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 Tripathi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,745
Census rank
#11,207
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,699 bearers of the surname Tripathi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11207th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tripathi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tripathi
The surname Tripathi has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'tri-patha,' meaning 'three paths' or 'three roads.' This name was likely given to individuals who lived near a place where three roads converged or to those who were travelers or merchants traversing various routes.
The earliest recorded instances of the Tripathi name can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and Puranas. These references suggest that the name was prevalent among the Brahmin community, who were considered the highest caste in the traditional Hindu social hierarchy.
One of the earliest known Tripathis was Maharishi Vashishtha, a renowned sage and guru who lived during the Vedic period, around 1500-500 BCE. He is mentioned in several Hindu texts, including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as a prominent figure in the ancient Indian spiritual and philosophical traditions.
During the medieval period, the Tripathi name gained prominence in various regions of India, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. Several notable individuals with this surname left their mark on history.
Vishwanath Tripathi (1637-1719), also known as Pandit Vishwanath, was a renowned Hindu philosopher and scholar from Varanasi. He authored several influential works on Vedanta philosophy and is revered for his commentaries on ancient Hindu scriptures.
Govind Tripathi (1779-1858) was a prominent Bengali scholar and writer who made significant contributions to the field of Sanskrit literature. He is best known for his works on grammar, poetry, and translations of ancient Hindu texts.
Radha Govind Tripathi (1885-1956), a freedom fighter and social reformer from Uttar Pradesh, played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement. He advocated for the rights of the underprivileged and worked towards improving the education system in rural areas.
Ram Naresh Tripathi (1916-1998), a renowned Indian historian and archaeologist, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian history and culture. He authored several books and papers on subjects such as the Indus Valley Civilization and the history of Uttar Pradesh.
Govind Narain Tripathi (1927-2016) was a distinguished Indian diplomat and served as the Secretary-General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) from 1992 to 1993. He played a crucial role in fostering regional cooperation and promoting peace in South Asia.
The Tripathi surname has a long and rich history, deeply rooted in the cultural and intellectual traditions of the Indian subcontinent. While its origins can be traced back to ancient times, the name continues to be prevalent across various regions of India and among the global Indian diaspora.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tripathi
Among Census respondents with the surname Tripathi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Tripathi 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 Tripathi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.7% · 2,556
- White2.2% · 59
- Two or more races2.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tripathi
Tripathi 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
#19,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,399
+779 bearers (+125.6%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 15,213 places
2020
#11,207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,699
+1,300 bearers (+92.9%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 8,134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,554 | 620 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,341 | 1,399 | 0.47 | +779 bearers (+125.6%) | Up 15,213 places |
| 2020 | #11,207 | 2,699 | 0.90 | +1,300 bearers (+92.9%) | Up 8,134 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 Tripathi 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 | #19,341 | #11,207 | 42.1% |
| Count | 1,399 | 2,699 | 92.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.90 | 92.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tripathi bearers went from 1,399 to 2,699 (+92.9% change). The surname moved up 8,134 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,341 to #11,207.
FAQ
Tripathi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tripathi?
Name Census estimates that about 3,095 living Americans carry the surname Tripathi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,745 residents.
How common is Tripathi?
Tripathi ranks #11,207 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,699 people with the surname Tripathi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,095), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Tripathi.
Has Tripathi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tripathi went from 1,399 recorded bearers to 2,699. That is an increase of 1,300 (+92.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,341 to #11,207.
What does the Census say about the background of Tripathi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tripathi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Tripathi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (2,556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tripathi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.7%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Tripathi (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 Tripathi mean?
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit root "tri-path" meaning "at the three paths" or "at the crossroads". 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 Tripathi (0.90 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 are called Tripathi?
See how many people have the last name Tripathi on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.