Explore the Family Name Acharya
The meaning of Acharya
Indian: Brahmin name, from Sanskrit āčārya ‘one who knows or teaches (right) conduct’, i.e. a spiritual guide or teacher. The term was also applied as an honorific title for a man of learning. It has also been adopted as a surname by some non-Brahmin communities. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Arvind, Mukund, Raj, Ajay, Ajit, Anurag, Arun, Bharat, Harsha, Harshad, Jayant, Madhu.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Acharya in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Acharya significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Acharya was ranked as the 29,516th most popular surname in the United States, but by 2010, it had risen to the 12,101st spot — a substantial jump of almost 59%. The actual count of individuals with this surname more than tripled from 754 people in 2000 to 2,575 in 2010. This represented an increase of 241.51%, elevating the surname's proportion per 100,000 residents from 0.28 to 0.87.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,516 | #12,101 | 59% |
| Count | 754 | 2,575 | 241.51% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.87 | 210.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Acharya
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Acharya also underwent changes during the same decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority of people carrying the surname identified themselves as Asian or Pacific Islander, growing from 91.51% in 2000 to 94.49% in 2010. The proportion of those identifying with two or more races decreased from 5.17% to 3.07%. Similarly, the percentage of those identifying as White dropped from 2.65% to 1.59%. New entries in the 2010 census included individuals who identified as Hispanic, Black, and American Indian or Alaskan Native, accounting for 0.35%, 0.31%, and 0.19% of the total respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 91.51% | 94.49% | 3.26% |
| Two or More Races | 5.17% | 3.07% | -40.62% |
| White | 2.65% | 1.59% | -40% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.35% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.31% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.19% | 0% |