Explore the Family Name Upadhyay

The meaning of Upadhyay

Indian (northern states and Karnataka): Brahmin name from Sanskrit upādhyāya ‘teacher’ (from upa ‘with, under’ + adhyāya ‘studying’). Some characteristic forenames: Indian Ajay, Ram, Satish, Vijay, Dipak, Haren, Jagadish, Jayprakash, Kirit, Nandini, Nirmala, Pankaj.

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

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

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Upadhyay has seen a significant increase. In 2000, this surname was ranked as the 36,761st most popular in the U.S., with a count of 573. By 2010, the popularity of this surname had risen considerably, jumping to the 20,780th rank and boasting an increased count of 1,271. This marks a substantial growth rate of 43.47% in rank and an impressive 121.82% increase in count over the decade. Additionally, the proportion per 100,000 people more than doubled, rising by 104.76%.

20002010Change
Rank#36,761#20,78043.47%
Count5731,271121.82%
Proportion per 100k0.210.43104.76%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Upadhyay

When it comes to the ethnic identity associated with the surname Upadhyay, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, there's been a slight shift over the decade from 2000 to 2010. The vast majority of individuals with this surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, a percentage that rose from 89.18% in 2000 to 93.71% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races saw a decrease from 7.85% to 2.83%. Meanwhile, the percentage identifying as White experienced a small increase from 2.27% to 2.36%. Interestingly, in 2010, there was a new entry for American Indian and Alaskan Native at 0.55%, which wasn't present in the 2000 data. No data was reported for those identifying as Hispanic or Black in either year.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander89.18%93.71%5.08%
Two or More Races7.85%2.83%-63.95%
White2.27%2.36%3.96%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.55%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%