2000
#6,922
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,472
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.66
Uncommon Last name
Varghese
A Malayalam surname indicating a person from the South Indian state of Kerala, likely of Christian heritage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,004 Americans carry the last name Varghese. That puts it at #3,951 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,262 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varghese 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 Varghese with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 34,262
Census rank
#3,951
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,724 bearers of the surname Varghese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3951st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varghese, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varghese
The surname Varghese is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Kerala in southern India. It dates back to the 8th century AD, when Christianity was introduced to the region by Syrian Christian missionaries.
The name Varghese is derived from the Syrian Christian name Vargheese, which is the Malayali language version of the biblical name Varghese or Vargis. This, in turn, is believed to have its roots in the Aramaic name Vargiz or the Greek name Basilios, meaning "royal" or "kingly".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Varghese can be found in the 9th century copper plate inscriptions of the Kodungallur era, which document the privileges granted to Syrian Christian settlers in Kerala by the local Hindu rulers.
In the 16th century, historical records mention a Syrian Christian merchant named Varghese Mappillai, who was a prominent figure in the spice trade between Kerala and Europe. He is believed to have facilitated the establishment of the first Portuguese settlement in Calicut, now known as Kozhikode.
Another notable bearer of the name was Varghese Mappillai Achen, a 17th-century Syrian Christian priest and scholar who authored several religious texts and played a crucial role in preserving the heritage and traditions of the Syrian Christian community in Kerala.
In the 19th century, Varghese Kurien, born in 1921, was a social entrepreneur and the founder of the successful dairy cooperative Amul. He is widely credited with ushering in the "White Revolution" in India, which transformed the country's dairy industry.
Varghese Mappillai Kurien, born in 1930, was a prominent Malayalam language writer and literary critic. He was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1988 for his contributions to Indian literature.
Varghese Pakkalakath, born in 1945, is a renowned Indian painter and sculptor. His works, which blend traditional Indian aesthetics with modern techniques, have been exhibited in galleries across the world and are part of several prestigious collections.
While the surname Varghese has its origins in the Syrian Christian community of Kerala, it has since been adopted by people from various religious and ethnic backgrounds across India, particularly in the southern states.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varghese
Among Census respondents with the surname Varghese, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Varghese 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 Varghese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 8,213
- White2.4% · 208
- Two or more races2.1% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varghese
Varghese 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
#5,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,013
+2,541 bearers (+56.8%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Up 1,912 places
2020
#3,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,724
+1,711 bearers (+24.4%)
Per 100,000 2.92
Rank movement Up 1,059 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,922 | 4,472 | 1.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,010 | 7,013 | 2.38 | +2,541 bearers (+56.8%) | Up 1,912 places |
| 2020 | #3,951 | 8,724 | 2.92 | +1,711 bearers (+24.4%) | Up 1,059 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 Varghese 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 | #5,010 | #3,951 | 21.1% |
| Count | 7,013 | 8,724 | 24.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.38 | 2.92 | 22.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varghese bearers went from 7,013 to 8,724 (+24.4% change). The surname moved up 1,059 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,010 to #3,951.
FAQ
Varghese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varghese?
Name Census estimates that about 10,004 living Americans carry the surname Varghese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,262 residents.
How common is Varghese?
Varghese ranks #3,951 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,724 people with the surname Varghese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Varghese.
Has Varghese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varghese went from 7,013 recorded bearers to 8,724. That is an increase of 1,711 (+24.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,010 to #3,951.
What does the Census say about the background of Varghese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varghese, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) 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 Varghese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (8,213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varghese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (2.4%), 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 Varghese (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 Varghese mean?
A Malayalam surname indicating a person from the South Indian state of Kerala, likely of Christian heritage. 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 Varghese (2.92 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 Varghese?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Varghese on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.