2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bhula
From Hindi origins, referring to someone who has forgotten or made a mistake.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 156 Americans carry the last name Bhula. That puts it at #130,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,197,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bhula 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 Bhula with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
156
1 in 2,197,143
Census rank
#130,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
136
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 136 bearers of the surname Bhula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 130360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bhula
The surname BHULA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, primarily in the northern regions of present-day India and Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 12th and 16th centuries.
BHULA is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "bhula," which means "forgotten" or "lost." It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive term or a nickname to individuals who were forgetful or had a tendency to lose or misplace items.
The earliest known references to the surname BHULA can be found in various historical records and manuscripts from the region, such as land ownership records, tax records, and local administrative documents. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact time and place of the name's origin due to the scarcity of surviving records from that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname BHULA was Hari Singh Bhula, a renowned warrior and military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. He played a significant role in several military campaigns and is mentioned in contemporary historical accounts.
Another notable figure was Bishan Singh Bhula, a prominent landlord and farmer from the region of Punjab in the 18th century. Historical records indicate that he owned vast tracts of land and was instrumental in introducing new agricultural techniques to the area.
In the 19th century, Munshi Jairam Bhula gained recognition as a scholar and writer. He authored several works on literature, philosophy, and history, contributing significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the 20th century, Sardar Harbans Singh Bhula was a prominent politician and social activist from Punjab. He played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement and later served in various capacities in the government of independent India.
It is worth noting that the surname BHULA has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations in the Indian subcontinent. For instance, there are villages and towns named Bhula or variations of the name in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, among others.
While the surname BHULA may have evolved and spread to different regions over time, its roots can be traced back to the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, where it emerged as a descriptive name or nickname during the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bhula
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bhula 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 Bhula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.1% · 128
- White3.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
- Two or more races0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bhula
Bhula appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+13 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,591 places
2020
#130,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+16 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,868 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 3,591 places |
| 2020 | #130,360 | 136 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 8,868 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 Bhula 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 | #139,228 | #130,360 | 6.4% |
| Count | 120 | 136 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bhula bearers went from 120 to 136 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 8,868 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #130,360.
FAQ
Bhula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bhula?
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the surname Bhula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,197,143 residents.
How common is Bhula?
Bhula ranks #130,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 136 people with the surname Bhula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Bhula.
Has Bhula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bhula went from 120 recorded bearers to 136. That is an increase of 16 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #130,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Bhula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bhula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.7%) and Black (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 Bhula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bhula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.1%), White (3.7%), Black (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 Bhula (2000, 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 Bhula mean?
From Hindi origins, referring to someone who has forgotten or made a mistake. 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 Bhula (0.05 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 Bhula?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.