2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Varshney
An Indian surname indicating a person of the Vaishya community.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 757 Americans carry the last name Varshney. That puts it at #36,479 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 452,780 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varshney 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
757
1 in 452,780
Census rank
#36,479
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
660
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 660 bearers of the surname Varshney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36479th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varshney, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varshney
The surname Varshney has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the northern regions of India. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 11th to 13th centuries CE.
The name Varshney is derived from the Sanskrit word "Varshneya," which means "descendant of Vrishni," a prominent clan mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Vrishni clan played a significant role in the epic Mahabharata and was known for its association with Lord Krishna, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism.
In ancient Sanskrit manuscripts and inscriptions, the name Varshneya was often used to refer to individuals belonging to the Vrishni clan or those claiming descent from this illustrious lineage. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, and variants like Varshney emerged as common surnames.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Varshney can be found in the Rajput chronicles of the 16th century, where it was used to identify members of the warrior class who traced their ancestry to the Vrishni clan. During this period, the Varshney surname was predominantly found in the regions of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and parts of modern-day Haryana.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Varshney. One such figure was Thakur Jai Singh Varshney (1688-1743), a renowned Rajput warrior and astronomer who served as the Raja of Amber (now Jaipur) and was instrumental in establishing the city of Jaipur.
Another prominent Varshney was Pandit Shri Ram Sharma Varshney (1876-1957), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and author who made significant contributions to the study and preservation of ancient Hindu texts and literature.
In the field of literature, Shyam Sundar Varshney (1912-1988) was a celebrated Hindi poet and writer, known for his lyrical works and contributions to the Chhayavad literary movement in the 20th century.
More recently, Jagmohan Varshney (1934-2012) was a respected Indian politician and statesman who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi and played a pivotal role in the development of the national capital.
It is worth mentioning that the name Varshney has also been associated with places and villages in various parts of northern India, such as Varshney Khera in Uttar Pradesh and Varshney Ka Bas in Rajasthan, further highlighting the historical significance and geographical spread of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varshney
Among Census respondents with the surname Varshney, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Varshney 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 Varshney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 621
- White2.3% · 15
- Two or more races1.8% · 12
- Black or African American0.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varshney
Varshney 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
#59,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 342
+211 bearers (+161.1%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 62,609 places
2020
#36,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 660
+318 bearers (+93.0%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 22,692 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #59,171 | 342 | 0.12 | +211 bearers (+161.1%) | Up 62,609 places |
| 2020 | #36,479 | 660 | 0.22 | +318 bearers (+93.0%) | Up 22,692 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 Varshney 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 | #59,171 | #36,479 | 38.3% |
| Count | 342 | 660 | 93.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.22 | 84.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varshney bearers went from 342 to 660 (+93.0% change). The surname moved up 22,692 positions in the national ranking, going from #59,171 to #36,479.
FAQ
Varshney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varshney?
Name Census estimates that about 757 living Americans carry the surname Varshney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 452,780 residents.
How common is Varshney?
Varshney ranks #36,479 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 660 people with the surname Varshney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (757), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Varshney.
Has Varshney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varshney went from 342 recorded bearers to 660. That is an increase of 318 (+93.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #59,171 to #36,479.
What does the Census say about the background of Varshney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varshney, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.3%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Varshney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (621 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varshney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (2.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Varshney (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 Varshney mean?
An Indian surname indicating a person of the Vaishya community. 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 Varshney (0.22 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 surname Varshney?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.