2010
#101,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Battula
A surname meaning "bottle" in Southern Indian Telugu language.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 435 Americans carry the last name Battula. That puts it at #57,938 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 787,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Battula 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
435
1 in 787,941
Census rank
#57,938
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
379
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 379 bearers of the surname Battula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57938th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Battula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Battula
The surname Battula has its origins in India, specifically from the state of Andhra Pradesh. The name can be traced back to the late 15th century, during the height of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is believed to be derived from the Telugu word 'Battilu,' which means 'bundle' or 'package.'
In ancient times, the Battula name was associated with traders and merchants who dealt in the transportation and distribution of goods. The name likely referred to the bundles or packages of merchandise they carried. Early records mention the Battula family as prominent traders in the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the cities of Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.
One of the earliest documented references to the Battula name can be found in the Mackenzie Manuscripts, a collection of historical records compiled by Colonel Colin Mackenzie in the late 18th century. These manuscripts mention a Battula family involved in the spice trade with Dutch and Portuguese merchants during the 16th century.
The first recorded instance of the Battula name dates back to 1498, when a merchant named Battula Veera Raghava Reddy is mentioned in a trade agreement with the Portuguese. He was a prominent figure in the city of Vizianagaram and played a crucial role in facilitating trade between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Portuguese settlers.
Another notable figure in the history of the Battula name is Battula Venkata Rao, born in 1675, who was a renowned poet and scholar in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. His works, particularly in the field of Telugu literature, are highly regarded and have influenced generations of writers.
In the 19th century, Battula Gopala Krishnayya, born in 1810, was a prominent social reformer and advocate for women's rights. He played a pivotal role in the abolition of the practice of dedicating young girls to temples, a tradition known as 'Devadasi.'
The Battula name also gained prominence in the field of politics with Battula Sanjeeva Reddy, born in 1913, who served as the sixth President of India from 1977 to 1982. He played a significant role in shaping the country's political landscape during a crucial period in its history.
Another notable figure is Battula Kameswara Rao, born in 1918, who was a renowned Telugu playwright and writer. His works, which explored social and political themes, have left a lasting impact on Telugu literature and theater.
Throughout its history, the Battula name has been associated with various professions, including trade, literature, politics, and social reform. While its origins can be traced back to the coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh, the name has gained recognition across India and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Battula
Among Census respondents with the surname Battula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Battula 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 Battula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.8% · 367
- White1.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.5% · 2
- Two or more races0.5% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Battula
Battula 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
#57,938
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 379
+201 bearers (+112.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 43,309 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #101,247 | 178 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #57,938 | 379 | 0.13 | +201 bearers (+112.9%) | Up 43,309 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 Battula 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 | #101,247 | #57,938 | 42.8% |
| Count | 178 | 379 | 112.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.13 | 111.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Battula bearers went from 178 to 379 (+112.9% change). The surname moved up 43,309 positions in the national ranking, going from #101,247 to #57,938.
FAQ
Battula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Battula?
Name Census estimates that about 435 living Americans carry the surname Battula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 787,941 residents.
How common is Battula?
Battula ranks #57,938 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 379 people with the surname Battula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (435), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Battula.
Has Battula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Battula went from 178 recorded bearers to 379. That is an increase of 201 (+112.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #101,247 to #57,938.
What does the Census say about the background of Battula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Battula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (1.3%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Battula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (367 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Battula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.8%), White (1.3%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Battula (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 Battula mean?
A surname meaning "bottle" in Southern Indian Telugu language. 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 Battula (0.13 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 common is the surname Battula?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Battula, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.