2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vasavada
A Hindu surname originating from Gujarat, India meaning lord of prosperity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 234 Americans carry the last name Vasavada. That puts it at #95,802 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,464,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vasavada 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
234
1 in 1,464,762
Census rank
#95,802
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
204
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 204 bearers of the surname Vasavada in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95802nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasavada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vasavada
The surname Vasavada is of Indian origin, specifically from the Gujarat region of western India. It traces its roots back to the 16th century or earlier. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words 'vasu', meaning 'wealth' or 'prosperity', and 'vada', meaning 'residence' or 'dwelling place'. Thus, the name Vasavada likely referred to a prosperous or wealthy residential area or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Vasavada name can be found in the 'Brihat Prabandha Sangraha', a 16th-century literary work that mentions a village called Vasavada in the Charotar region of Gujarat. This suggests that the surname may have originated from this place name.
The Vasavada surname has also been associated with the Nagar Brahmin community, a prominent community of Brahmin scholars and priests from Gujarat. Several historical figures from this community have borne the Vasavada name over the centuries.
One notable example is Shri Vasavada Govind Bhatt, a renowned scholar and astrologer who lived in the 17th century. He authored several influential works on Jyotisha (Hindu astrology) and Dharmashastra (Hindu religious laws).
Another prominent Vasavada was Shri Vasavada Viththalrai, a 19th-century scholar and poet from Surat, Gujarat. He composed numerous literary works in Gujarati and Sanskrit, including the epic poem 'Shiva Mahimnastuti'.
In the 20th century, Dr. Vasavada Chandubhai Pranshankar (1900-1979) was a distinguished educationist and social reformer from Gujarat. He played a pivotal role in establishing several educational institutions and promoting education among underprivileged communities.
Vasavada Haribhai Premabhai (1914-1994) was a renowned Gujarati poet and playwright, known for his contributions to the Gujarati literary scene. His works explored themes of social justice, human values, and the cultural heritage of Gujarat.
More recently, Dr. Vasavada Aruna (born 1939) is a celebrated Indian classical dancer and choreographer, recognized for her contributions to the Bharatanatyam dance form. She has received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the prestigious Padma Shri from the Government of India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vasavada
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasavada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Vasavada 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 Vasavada surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.7% · 185
- Two or more races3.9% · 8
- White3.4% · 7
- Black or African American1.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vasavada
Vasavada 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
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+20 bearers (+15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,687 places
2020
#95,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+57 bearers (+38.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 22,383 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+15.7%) | Up 6,687 places |
| 2020 | #95,802 | 204 | 0.07 | +57 bearers (+38.8%) | Up 22,383 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 Vasavada 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 | #118,185 | #95,802 | 18.9% |
| Count | 147 | 204 | 38.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 36.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vasavada bearers went from 147 to 204 (+38.8% change). The surname moved up 22,383 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #95,802.
FAQ
Vasavada surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vasavada?
Name Census estimates that about 234 living Americans carry the surname Vasavada. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,464,762 residents.
How common is Vasavada?
Vasavada ranks #95,802 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 204 people with the surname Vasavada. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (234), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Vasavada.
Has Vasavada become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vasavada went from 147 recorded bearers to 204. That is an increase of 57 (+38.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #118,185 to #95,802.
What does the Census say about the background of Vasavada?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vasavada, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and White (3.4%). 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 Vasavada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vasavada appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), White (3.4%). 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 Vasavada (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 Vasavada mean?
A Hindu surname originating from Gujarat, India meaning lord of prosperity. 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 Vasavada (0.07 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 common is the surname Vasavada?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Vasavada on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.