2000
#69,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Rare Last name
Balaji
An Indian surname taken from the Hindu god Balaji or Venkateswara.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,217 Americans carry the last name Balaji. That puts it at #14,748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,603 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balaji 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
2.2K
1 in 154,603
Census rank
#14,748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,933 bearers of the surname Balaji in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balaji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.4%) and White (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balaji
The surname Balaji is believed to have originated in India, particularly in the southern regions of the country. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Bala,' which means strength or power, and 'Aji,' which means unborn or eternal. The name is closely associated with Lord Venkateswara, a highly revered Hindu deity, also known as Balaji.
The name Balaji has a long history dating back to ancient times in India. It is mentioned in various Hindu scriptures and texts, including the Puranas and the Vedas, which are among the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism. The name gained prominence during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 14th to 17th centuries, when Lord Venkateswara's temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, became a significant pilgrimage site.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Balaji can be found in the Sthala Purana, a collection of stories and legends associated with the Tirupati temple. This ancient text narrates the tales of devotees and their unwavering devotion to Lord Venkateswara, also known as Balaji.
The name Balaji has been borne by several notable personalities throughout history. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Sardar Balaji Vishwanath Phadke (1827-1883), a prominent figure in the Indian independence movement against British rule. He led the Ramoshi uprising in Maharashtra, which was one of the earliest uprisings against British colonial power.
Another notable person with the surname Balaji was Balaji Vishwanath (1555-1625), a prominent minister and scholar in the Maratha Empire. He served as the Peshwa (prime minister) under the Maratha ruler Shivaji and played a crucial role in strengthening the Maratha kingdom.
In the realm of literature, Balaji Mundkur (1897-1980) was a renowned Kannada writer and scholar. He made significant contributions to Kannada literature and was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1958.
Balaji Tambe (1696-1767) was a prominent Marathi poet and saint from Maharashtra. He is renowned for his devotional poetry dedicated to Lord Venkateswara, and his works are widely celebrated in the Varkari tradition of Hinduism.
Balaji Rao Nayak (1925-2014) was a prominent Indian classical vocalist and composer from Karnataka. He was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 1992 for his contributions to Hindustani classical music.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balaji
Among Census respondents with the surname Balaji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.4%) and White (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Balaji 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 Balaji surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.0% · 1,856
- Two or more races1.4% · 28
- White1.4% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balaji
Balaji 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
#27,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 868
+603 bearers (+227.5%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 41,494 places
2020
#14,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,933
+1,065 bearers (+122.7%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 12,959 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #69,201 | 265 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,707 | 868 | 0.29 | +603 bearers (+227.5%) | Up 41,494 places |
| 2020 | #14,748 | 1,933 | 0.65 | +1,065 bearers (+122.7%) | Up 12,959 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 Balaji 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 | #27,707 | #14,748 | 46.8% |
| Count | 868 | 1,933 | 122.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.65 | 123.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balaji bearers went from 868 to 1,933 (+122.7% change). The surname moved up 12,959 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,707 to #14,748.
FAQ
Balaji surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balaji?
Name Census estimates that about 2,217 living Americans carry the surname Balaji. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,603 residents.
How common is Balaji?
Balaji ranks #14,748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,933 people with the surname Balaji. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,217), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Balaji.
Has Balaji become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balaji went from 868 recorded bearers to 1,933. That is an increase of 1,065 (+122.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,707 to #14,748.
What does the Census say about the background of Balaji?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balaji, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.4%) and White (1.4%). 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 Balaji in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (1,856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balaji appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.0%), Two or More Races (1.4%), White (1.4%). 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 Balaji (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 Balaji mean?
An Indian surname taken from the Hindu god Balaji or Venkateswara. 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 Balaji (0.65 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 last name Balaji?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Balaji on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.