Explore the Family Name Pandey

The meaning of Pandey

Indian (northern states): Brahmin name, from Hindi pāṇḍe ‘knowledgeable’. Compare Pandit. In Hindi pāṇḍe also denotes a person engaged in either of two traditional Brahmin occupations: teaching and cooking. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Rajiv, Ram, Ramesh, Ashok, Chandra, Kailash, Manish, Rajesh, Rakesh, Ravi, Vivek, Arun.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Pandey significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked 25,503 and by 2010, it had risen in rank to 16,755 which equates to a 34.3% increase. The number of individuals with the Pandey surname also surged during this period, growing from 910 to 1,706 — an impressive 87.47% increment. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people carrying the Pandey name expanded from 0.34 to 0.58, marking a 70.59% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#25,503#16,75534.3%
Count9101,70687.47%
Proportion per 100k0.340.5870.59%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pandey

The Decennial U.S. Census data provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Pandey as well. Individuals of Asian/Pacific Islander descent were the most likely to carry the Pandey name, with proportions growing from 88.46% in 2000 to 93.79% in 2010. There was a noticeable decline in the percentage of Pandeys who identified with two or more races, dropping from 5.60% to 1.88%. White individuals bearing this surname decreased from 4.18% to 2.75%, while Hispanic representation fell from 1.54% to 0.53%. Although small, there were slight increases in Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities with the surname Pandey, both rising from 0% in 2000 to 0.47% and 0.59% respectively in 2010.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander88.46%93.79%6.03%
White4.18%2.75%-34.21%
Two or More Races5.6%1.88%-66.43%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.59%0%
Hispanic1.54%0.53%-65.58%
Black0%0.47%0%