2010
#101,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 177
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bhagavatula
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhagavat" meaning "Lord" or "Divine".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 328 Americans carry the last name Bhagavatula. That puts it at #73,107 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,044,983 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhagavatula 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
328
1 in 1,044,983
Census rank
#73,107
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
286
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 286 bearers of the surname Bhagavatula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73107th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhagavatula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhagavatula
The surname "BHAGAVATULA" has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. This name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhagavat," which means "Lord" or "God," and the suffix "ula," which indicates a place of origin or residence.
The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, when surnames became more commonly used in India. It is thought to have been initially associated with families or individuals who lived in areas dedicated to the worship of a particular deity or who had close ties to religious institutions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BHAGAVATULA" can be found in ancient palm leaf manuscripts from the 12th century CE, which document the existence of a village named "Bhagavatula" in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. These manuscripts provide valuable insights into the historical context and significance of this surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "BHAGAVATULA." One such person was Bhagavatula Venkatarama Sastry (1869-1949), a renowned scholar and author who made significant contributions to the study of Hindu scriptures and philosophy. Another prominent figure was Bhagavatula Venkata Subbarao (1914-1990), a distinguished lawyer and jurist who served as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
In the realm of arts and culture, Bhagavatula Seetharama Sastry (1917-1992) was a celebrated Telugu poet and lyricist, renowned for his contributions to the literary landscape of Andhra Pradesh. Bhagavatula Veerabhadra Rao (1924-2002) was a renowned sculptor and artist, whose works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries across India.
Bhagavatula Ramabrahmam (1880-1960) was a prominent social reformer and educationist who played a crucial role in promoting women's education and empowerment in the early 20th century. He established several educational institutions and worked tirelessly to uplift underprivileged communities.
While the surname "BHAGAVATULA" has its roots in Andhra Pradesh, it has since spread to various parts of India and even to the Indian diaspora worldwide, carrying with it a rich cultural and historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhagavatula
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhagavatula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhagavatula 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 Bhagavatula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander98.6% · 282
- White0.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhagavatula
Bhagavatula 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
#73,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 286
+109 bearers (+61.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 28,630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #101,737 | 177 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #73,107 | 286 | 0.10 | +109 bearers (+61.6%) | Up 28,630 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 Bhagavatula 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 | #101,737 | #73,107 | 28.1% |
| Count | 177 | 286 | 61.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.10 | 59.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhagavatula bearers went from 177 to 286 (+61.6% change). The surname moved up 28,630 positions in the national ranking, going from #101,737 to #73,107.
FAQ
Bhagavatula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhagavatula?
Name Census estimates that about 328 living Americans carry the surname Bhagavatula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,044,983 residents.
How common is Bhagavatula?
Bhagavatula ranks #73,107 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 286 people with the surname Bhagavatula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (328), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Bhagavatula.
Has Bhagavatula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhagavatula went from 177 recorded bearers to 286. That is an increase of 109 (+61.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #101,737 to #73,107.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhagavatula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhagavatula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 98.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.7%) and Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Bhagavatula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.6% (282 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhagavatula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (98.6%), White (0.7%), Hispanic (0.7%). 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 Bhagavatula (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 Bhagavatula mean?
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "Bhagavat" meaning "Lord" or "Divine". 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 Bhagavatula (0.10 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 Bhagavatula?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.