2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Balakumar
A Tamil surname from southern India meaning "young prince".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 192 Americans carry the last name Balakumar. That puts it at #111,996 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,785,179 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balakumar 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 Balakumar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
192
1 in 1,785,179
Census rank
#111,996
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
167
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 167 bearers of the surname Balakumar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 111996th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balakumar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balakumar
The surname Balakumar originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Tamil region of southern India. The name is derived from the Tamil words "bala," meaning strength or power, and "kumar," which means prince or young man. This suggests that the name may have been initially bestowed upon individuals who displayed qualities of strength, valor, or nobility.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Balakumar can be traced back to ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions from the medieval period. One notable reference is found in the Sangam literature, a collection of Tamil poetic works dating back to the early centuries of the common era. In these texts, the name appears as a descriptor or epithet for brave warriors and leaders.
During the reign of the Chola Dynasty, which ruled over parts of southern India from the 9th to the 13th century, the name Balakumar gained prominence. It was often associated with members of the nobility and warriors who served in the Chola army. Some historical records, such as stone inscriptions and copper plate grants, mention individuals bearing this name who held important positions in the Chola administration or were renowned for their military exploits.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Balakumar was Balakumar Chola, a renowned Tamil chieftain who lived in the 10th century. He was known for his bravery and military leadership during the reign of the Chola king Rajaraja Chola I (985-1014 CE).
Another notable figure was Balakumar Pandya, a military commander who served under the Pandyan king Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I in the 13th century. He played a crucial role in the Pandyan wars against the Hoysala Empire and was celebrated for his strategic prowess.
In the 15th century, Balakumar Nayak was a prominent chieftain and ruler of the Nayak kingdom of Madurai in southern India. He was known for his patronage of art, literature, and architecture, and his reign saw the construction of several temples and monuments in the region.
Balakumar Iyer, born in the 17th century, was a renowned Tamil scholar and poet who contributed significantly to the development of Tamil literature and philosophy. His works, such as the "Balakumar Vilakkam," a commentary on Tamil grammar, are still studied and revered today.
The name Balakumar has also been associated with various place names and locations in southern India. For instance, Balakumar Palayam was a historic town and former princely state in the present-day state of Tamil Nadu. The name likely originated from a ruler or chieftain bearing the name Balakumar who held sway over the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balakumar
Among Census respondents with the surname Balakumar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Balakumar 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 Balakumar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.0% · 157
- White3.0% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 4
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balakumar
Balakumar 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
#111,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 167
+55 bearers (+49.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 35,257 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 | #111,996 | 167 | 0.06 | +55 bearers (+49.1%) | Up 35,257 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 Balakumar 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 | #111,996 | 23.9% |
| Count | 112 | 167 | 49.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.06 | 39.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balakumar bearers went from 112 to 167 (+49.1% change). The surname moved up 35,257 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #111,996.
FAQ
Balakumar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balakumar?
Name Census estimates that about 192 living Americans carry the surname Balakumar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,785,179 residents.
How common is Balakumar?
Balakumar ranks #111,996 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 167 people with the surname Balakumar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (192), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Balakumar.
Has Balakumar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balakumar went from 112 recorded bearers to 167. That is an increase of 55 (+49.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #111,996.
What does the Census say about the background of Balakumar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balakumar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.0%. The next largest groups are White (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%). 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 Balakumar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balakumar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.0%), White (3.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%). 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 Balakumar (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 Balakumar mean?
A Tamil surname from southern India meaning "young prince". 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 Balakumar (0.06 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 Balakumar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.