2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Balusu
A surname of Indian origin, meaning "sand" or "sandy place".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 260 Americans carry the last name Balusu. That puts it at #87,947 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,318,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Balusu 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
260
1 in 1,318,286
Census rank
#87,947
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
227
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 227 bearers of the surname Balusu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 87947th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Balusu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Balusu
The surname Balusu is an Indian name that originates from the Telugu language spoken primarily in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is believed to have derived from the ancient Telugu word "balu," which means "sand" or "sandy soil." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived in or near sandy regions.
The earliest known references to the Balusu surname can be traced back to the 14th century, during the Vijayanagara Empire's reign in the Deccan region of southern India. Several historical manuscripts, such as the Vijayanagara inscriptions and the Amuktamalyada, mention individuals with the Balusu surname.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Balusu name is found in the 16th century, when a prominent scholar and poet named Balusu Linganna lived during the reign of the Golconda Sultanate. He was renowned for his contributions to Telugu literature and his works are still studied today.
In the 18th century, the Balusu family played a significant role in the Court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, a princely state under the Mughal Empire. Balusu Venkata Krishna Rao, born in 1745, was a notable figure who served as a minister and advisor to the Nizam's court.
Another notable bearer of the Balusu surname was Balusu Sambasiva Rao, born in 1817, who was a renowned scholar and author. He wrote several influential works on Telugu language and literature, and his contributions helped preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the region.
During the 19th century, the Balusu family continued to hold influential positions in various parts of southern India. Balusu Seetharama Raju, born in 1845, was a prominent landowner and philanthropist who funded the construction of several educational institutions and hospitals in his local community.
In the 20th century, Balusu Sriramulu, born in 1920, was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social activist. He played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and worked tirelessly to promote the rights of marginalized communities.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Balusu surname who have left their mark on history. The name continues to be prevalent in southern India, particularly in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and carries a rich cultural heritage rooted in the Telugu language and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Balusu
Among Census respondents with the surname Balusu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Balusu 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 Balusu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.2% · 216
- White1.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 4
- Two or more races1.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Balusu
Balusu 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
#87,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 227
+112 bearers (+97.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 56,194 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #87,947 | 227 | 0.08 | +112 bearers (+97.4%) | Up 56,194 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 Balusu 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 | #144,141 | #87,947 | 39.0% |
| Count | 115 | 227 | 97.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.08 | 89.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Balusu bearers went from 115 to 227 (+97.4% change). The surname moved up 56,194 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #87,947.
FAQ
Balusu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Balusu?
Name Census estimates that about 260 living Americans carry the surname Balusu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,318,286 residents.
How common is Balusu?
Balusu ranks #87,947 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 227 people with the surname Balusu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Balusu.
Has Balusu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Balusu went from 115 recorded bearers to 227. That is an increase of 112 (+97.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #87,947.
What does the Census say about the background of Balusu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Balusu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (1.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Balusu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (216 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Balusu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.2%), White (1.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.8%). 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 Balusu (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 Balusu mean?
A surname of Indian origin, meaning "sand" or "sandy place". 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 Balusu (0.08 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 Balusu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.