2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Adetula
Crown of wealth, an honorary title given to a prosperous and influential person in Yoruba culture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Adetula. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Adetula 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Adetula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Adetula, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adetula
The surname ADETULA is of Nigerian origin, specifically from the Yoruba ethnic group. It traces its roots back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries.
The name ADETULA is derived from two Yoruba words, "Ade" meaning "crown" or "royalty," and "Tula" meaning "to revere" or "to honor." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who held positions of honor or respect within the Yoruba community.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ADETULA can be found in the oral histories and genealogical records of the Oyo Empire, a powerful Yoruba kingdom that flourished in present-day southwestern Nigeria between the 16th and 19th centuries. These records mention several notable individuals bearing the name ADETULA, although exact dates are difficult to ascertain due to the nature of oral traditions.
During the 17th century, there are references to an ADETULA who served as a high-ranking chief in the court of the Alafin (ruler) of the Oyo Empire. This ADETULA is said to have played a significant role in diplomatic negotiations and military campaigns, earning him a reputation for wisdom and valor.
In the late 18th century, an ADETULA from the town of Ibadan, which was part of the Oyo Empire, gained prominence as a skilled trader and respected community leader. This individual's influence extended beyond Ibadan, and he is credited with fostering peaceful relations between different Yoruba towns and settlements.
Another notable bearer of the name ADETULA was a 19th-century scholar and historian from the town of Oyo. This ADETULA dedicated his life to preserving the oral histories and cultural traditions of the Yoruba people, and his work remains an invaluable resource for understanding the rich heritage of the region.
In more recent times, the ADETULA surname has been carried by several influential figures in various fields. For example, Adetula Obileye (1912-1998) was a prominent Nigerian entrepreneur and businessman who founded one of the country's largest conglomerates, the Obileye Group.
The name ADETULA has also been associated with individuals in the arts and academia. Adetula Ogundeji (1923-2001) was a renowned Nigerian writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, tradition, and modernity within the Yoruba culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adetula
Among Census respondents with the surname Adetula, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Adetula 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 Adetula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.0% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- White0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adetula
Adetula appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 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 Adetula 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 | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adetula bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Adetula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adetula?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Adetula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Adetula?
Adetula ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Adetula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Adetula.
Has Adetula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adetula went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Adetula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adetula, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Adetula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adetula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Adetula (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 Adetula mean?
Crown of wealth, an honorary title given to a prosperous and influential person in Yoruba culture. 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 Adetula (0.04 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 many Americans have the surname Adetula?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.