2000
#16,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,568
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Bala
A South Indian surname referring to strength, power, or a spear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,121 Americans carry the last name Bala. That puts it at #11,124 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bala 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bala with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 109,822
Census rank
#11,124
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,722 bearers of the surname Bala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11124th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bala, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (32.4%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bala
The surname BALA is of Indian origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 7th century CE. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the areas now known as Punjab and Haryana.
The name BALA is derived from the Sanskrit word "bala," which means "strength" or "power." It was likely used as a descriptive name for individuals who possessed physical prowess or were known for their bravery and valor in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BALA can be found in the Bakhshali Manuscript, an ancient Indian mathematical treatise dating back to the 7th century CE. The manuscript mentions a scholar named Bala, who is believed to have contributed to the work.
In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Bala Raya emerged as a powerful ruler in the Deccan region of southern India. He ruled over the Yadava dynasty and was known for his military conquests and patronage of art and literature.
During the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, a renowned poet and scholar named Bala Sundar Tiwari gained recognition for his literary works. He was born in Varanasi in 1530 and is celebrated for his contributions to Hindi literature.
Another notable individual with the surname BALA was Bala Pritam Singh, a Sikh warrior who fought against the British during the Anglo-Sikh Wars in the 19th century. He was born in 1802 and is remembered for his bravery and sacrifices in defending the Sikh Empire.
In the 20th century, Bala Saheb Deoras emerged as a prominent figure in the Hindu nationalist movement in India. He served as the third Sarsanghchalak (Supreme Leader) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from 1973 to 1994 and played a significant role in shaping the organization's ideology and activities.
While the surname BALA has its roots in India, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. The name has been found in various spellings and variations, such as Balla, Bala, and Balla, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences it has encountered over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bala
Among Census respondents with the surname Bala, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (32.4%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bala 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 Bala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander54.4% · 1,482
- White32.4% · 881
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 159
- Black or African American4.2% · 114
- Two or more races2.7% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bala
Bala appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#15,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,968
+400 bearers (+25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 1,764 places
2020
#11,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,722
+754 bearers (+38.3%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 3,881 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,769 | 1,568 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,005 | 1,968 | 0.67 | +400 bearers (+25.5%) | Up 1,764 places |
| 2020 | #11,124 | 2,722 | 0.91 | +754 bearers (+38.3%) | Up 3,881 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 Bala 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 | #15,005 | #11,124 | 25.9% |
| Count | 1,968 | 2,722 | 38.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.91 | 35.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bala bearers went from 1,968 to 2,722 (+38.3% change). The surname moved up 3,881 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,005 to #11,124.
FAQ
Bala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bala?
Name Census estimates that about 3,121 living Americans carry the surname Bala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,822 residents.
How common is Bala?
Bala ranks #11,124 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,722 people with the surname Bala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,121), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bala.
Has Bala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bala went from 1,968 recorded bearers to 2,722. That is an increase of 754 (+38.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,005 to #11,124.
What does the Census say about the background of Bala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bala, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (32.4%) and Hispanic (5.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.4% (1,482 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (54.4%), White (32.4%), Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Bala (2000, 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 Bala mean?
A South Indian surname referring to strength, power, or a spear. 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 Bala (0.91 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 people have the surname Bala?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.