Find out how popular the last name Baliga is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Baliga.

Baliga, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Baliga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Baliga in America

Baliga is the 63068th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Baliga surname appeared 317 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Baliga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Baliga to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Baliga

The surname Baliga originates from the Indian state of Karnataka, where it is believed to have first emerged during the 16th century. The name is derived from the Kannada word "baliga," which means "farmer" or "cultivator." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in agricultural activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baliga surname can be found in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, where it appears in various historical documents dating back to the 17th century. These documents often refer to individuals with the Baliga surname as landowners or farmers, further reinforcing the connection between the name and its agricultural roots.

While the Baliga surname is predominantly found in Karnataka, it has also spread to other parts of India, particularly in regions with significant Kannada-speaking populations. Over the centuries, the name has undergone minor variations in spelling, such as "Ballinga" or "Balliga," but the core meaning and pronunciation have remained largely unchanged.

Notable individuals with the Baliga surname throughout history include:

1. V. Shankar Baliga (1918-2008), an Indian freedom fighter and political leader who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.
2. Ramesh Baliga (born 1953), an Indian computer scientist and entrepreneur, known for his contributions to the field of computer architecture.
3. Shivaram Karanth Baliga (1924-1980), a prominent Kannada writer and playwright, whose works explored social and cultural themes.
4. Mahadeva Baliga (1892-1979), a renowned Kannada scholar, linguist, and lexicographer, known for his contributions to the study of the Kannada language.
5. Vinod Baliga (born 1962), an Indian-American businessman and philanthropist, who co-founded the software company Liberate Technologies.

While the Baliga surname does not appear in some of the earliest historical records, such as the Domesday Book, its presence in various regional manuscripts and documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in Karnataka suggests a rich and deeply-rooted history in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Baliga

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Baliga.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Baliga was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Baliga has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Baliga was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Baliga, please contact us.

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