Explore the Family Name Bhattacharya

The meaning of Bhattacharya

Indian (Bengal and Assam): Brahmin name, from Sanskrit bhaṭṭāčārya, from bhaṭṭa ‘learned one’ (see Bhatt) and āčārya ‘teacher, preceptor’ (see Acharya). Originally, it was a title given to a learned man or a celebrated teacher. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Arun, Atanu, Som, Utpal, Ajit, Amar, Amit, Amitava, Arjun, Arup, Ashok, Dilip.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bhattacharya in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Bhattacharya has significantly increased in the United States from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 25,272nd most popular surname, but a decade later, it had risen to 17,087th place, marking a 32.39% increase in its ranking. The count of individuals with this surname also saw a substantial rise from 920 in 2000 to 1,661 in 2010, an increase of over 80%. Similarly, the proportion of people named Bhattacharya per 100,000 also experienced growth, from 0.34 in 2000 to 0.56 in 2010, indicating a 64.71% change.

20002010Change
Rank#25,272#17,08732.39%
Count9201,66180.54%
Proportion per 100k0.340.5664.71%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bhattacharya

When it comes to ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of individuals with the Bhattacharya surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group experienced a slight growth from 92.28% in 2000 to 93.56% in 2010. The proportion of those who identify their ethnicity as being of two or more races decreased by 20.55%, dropping from 3.26% in 2000 to 2.59% in 2010. Those identifying as white also decreased, from 3.91% in 2000 to 2.77% in 2010. Notably, there were no individuals with this surname who identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. However, there was a small emergence of individuals identifying as Hispanic in 2010, where previous data in 2000 was suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander92.28%93.56%1.39%
White3.91%2.77%-29.16%
Two or More Races3.26%2.59%-20.55%
Hispanic0%0.6%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%