2000
#18,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,393
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.52
Rare Last name
Varughese
A Malayalam surname derived from the given name Varughese, meaning "god will increase" or "he will add."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,934 Americans carry the last name Varughese. That puts it at #11,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varughese 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 Varughese with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 116,822
Census rank
#11,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,559 bearers of the surname Varughese in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varughese, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varughese
The surname Varughese is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the state of Kerala, which has a rich history dating back to ancient times. This name is derived from the combination of two Malayalam words, "Varu" meaning "to come" and "Ghese" meaning "priest" or "missionary."
It is widely accepted that the Varughese surname was adopted by families whose ancestors were Christian missionaries or priests who traveled to Kerala, bringing the teachings of Christianity to the region. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century when Portuguese and other European missionaries arrived in Kerala and established Christian communities.
One of the earliest known references to the Varughese name is found in the annals of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, which has a significant presence in Kerala. These records mention several individuals with the Varughese surname who played important roles in the church's history and the spread of Christianity in the region.
Among the notable figures with the Varughese surname is Father Joseph Varughese (1622-1688), a prominent Syro-Malabar Catholic priest and scholar who made significant contributions to the preservation of the Syriac language and literature in Kerala. Another noteworthy individual is Thomas Varughese (1876-1952), a renowned educationist and social reformer who played a crucial role in the establishment of several educational institutions in the state.
The Varughese surname is also associated with certain place names in Kerala, such as Varughese Pally (Varughese Church) and Varughese Muri (Varughese Hill), which further solidifies its historical roots in the region.
Throughout history, several other individuals with the Varughese surname have left their mark in various fields. These include Fr. Kuriakose Elias Varughese (1830-1876), a prominent Syro-Malabar Catholic priest and scholar; Dr. Paul Varughese (1901-1987), a renowned medical practitioner and philanthropist; and K.C. Varughese (1904-1974), a distinguished writer and journalist who contributed significantly to the Malayalam literary landscape.
It is important to note that the Varughese surname is predominantly found among the Christian communities of Kerala, particularly within the Syro-Malabar Catholic and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Christian denominations, reflecting its strong ties to the region's rich cultural and religious heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varughese
Among Census respondents with the surname Varughese, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.5%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Varughese 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 Varughese surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.5% · 2,419
- White2.4% · 62
- Two or more races2.1% · 55
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varughese
Varughese 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
#14,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
+651 bearers (+46.7%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 3,774 places
2020
#11,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,559
+515 bearers (+25.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Up 2,859 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,345 | 1,393 | 0.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,571 | 2,044 | 0.69 | +651 bearers (+46.7%) | Up 3,774 places |
| 2020 | #11,712 | 2,559 | 0.86 | +515 bearers (+25.2%) | Up 2,859 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 Varughese 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 | #14,571 | #11,712 | 19.6% |
| Count | 2,044 | 2,559 | 25.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.86 | 24.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varughese bearers went from 2,044 to 2,559 (+25.2% change). The surname moved up 2,859 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,571 to #11,712.
FAQ
Varughese surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varughese?
Name Census estimates that about 2,934 living Americans carry the surname Varughese. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,822 residents.
How common is Varughese?
Varughese ranks #11,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,559 people with the surname Varughese. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,934), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Varughese.
Has Varughese become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varughese went from 2,044 recorded bearers to 2,559. That is an increase of 515 (+25.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,571 to #11,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Varughese?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varughese, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.5%. 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 Varughese in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (2,419 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varughese appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.5%), 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 Varughese (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 Varughese mean?
A Malayalam surname derived from the given name Varughese, meaning "god will increase" or "he will add." 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 Varughese (0.86 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 Americans have the surname Varughese?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.