2000
#100,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Vachhani
A surname indicating belonging to a particular lineage or family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 531 Americans carry the last name Vachhani. That puts it at #49,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 645,488 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vachhani 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.
Bearers in the US
531
1 in 645,488
Census rank
#49,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
463
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 463 bearers of the surname Vachhani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vachhani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vachhani
The surname VACHHANI is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the western state of Gujarat. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'vachcha', which means 'calf' or 'young cow'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked with calves or cows, perhaps as a cowherd or dairy farmer.
The earliest known references to the VACHHANI surname can be traced back to the 16th century, where it appeared in local records and manuscripts from villages in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. During this period, the name was often spelled as 'Vachani' or 'Vachhanee', reflecting the local dialect and pronunciation.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the VACHHANI surname was Keshavlal Vachhani, a merchant and trader who lived in the late 16th century. He was known for his successful business ventures, which included trading in spices and textiles between Gujarat and the nearby regions.
In the 18th century, the VACHHANI name gained prominence with the birth of Ranchhodlal Vachhani (1720-1785), a respected scholar and author who wrote several books on Hindu philosophy and religious texts. His works were widely studied and influenced generations of scholars in Gujarat and beyond.
Another notable figure was Harilal Vachhani (1845-1910), a social reformer and educator who played a significant role in promoting education and women's empowerment in Gujarat. He established several schools and advocated for the abolition of regressive social practices, such as child marriage and the suppression of widows.
During the 19th century, the VACHHANI surname also became associated with the town of Vachhani, located in the Bhavnagar district of Gujarat. It is believed that the town was named after a prominent VACHHANI family who settled there and contributed to its development.
One of the most famous individuals with the VACHHANI surname in modern times was Chandrakant Vachhani (1921-2005), a renowned philanthropist and industrialist. He founded the Vachhani Group, a successful business conglomerate, and was widely recognized for his charitable initiatives, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.
Throughout its history, the VACHHANI surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, merchants, social reformers, and industrialists. While its origins can be traced back to Gujarat, the name has since spread to other parts of India and even internationally, as members of the VACHHANI community have migrated and settled in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vachhani
Among Census respondents with the surname Vachhani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Vachhani 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 Vachhani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.5% · 447
- White1.5% · 7
- Two or more races1.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vachhani
Vachhani 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
#64,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 308
+141 bearers (+84.4%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 35,635 places
2020
#49,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 463
+155 bearers (+50.3%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 15,409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #100,194 | 167 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,559 | 308 | 0.10 | +141 bearers (+84.4%) | Up 35,635 places |
| 2020 | #49,150 | 463 | 0.15 | +155 bearers (+50.3%) | Up 15,409 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 Vachhani 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 | #64,559 | #49,150 | 23.9% |
| Count | 308 | 463 | 50.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.15 | 54.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vachhani bearers went from 308 to 463 (+50.3% change). The surname moved up 15,409 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,559 to #49,150.
FAQ
Vachhani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vachhani?
Name Census estimates that about 531 living Americans carry the surname Vachhani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 645,488 residents.
How common is Vachhani?
Vachhani ranks #49,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 463 people with the surname Vachhani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (531), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Vachhani.
Has Vachhani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vachhani went from 308 recorded bearers to 463. That is an increase of 155 (+50.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #64,559 to #49,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Vachhani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vachhani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Vachhani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (447 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vachhani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.5%), White (1.5%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Vachhani (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 Vachhani mean?
A surname indicating belonging to a particular lineage or family. 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 Vachhani (0.15 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 Vachhani?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.