2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bodapati
A surname of Indian origin meaning "one who plants or cultivates crops".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 281 Americans carry the last name Bodapati. That puts it at #82,881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,219,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bodapati 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
281
1 in 1,219,766
Census rank
#82,881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
245
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 245 bearers of the surname Bodapati in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 82881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodapati, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bodapati
The surname Bodapati originated in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the southern regions of what is now Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is believed to have emerged around the 16th century AD, during the reign of the Vijayanagara Empire.
The name Bodapati is derived from the Telugu language, which is spoken primarily in the aforementioned regions. The word "Boda" is thought to be related to the Sanskrit term "Bhuja," meaning "arm" or "shoulder," while "Pati" is a common suffix denoting "lord" or "master." Thus, the surname Bodapati could translate to something along the lines of "Lord of Arms" or "Master of Shoulders."
Some historical records suggest that the Bodapati surname may have been associated with warrior clans or military families during the Vijayanagara period. However, concrete evidence of this connection is scarce, and the name's origins remain somewhat speculative.
One of the earliest known references to the Bodapati surname can be found in the Mackenzie Manuscripts, a collection of historical documents compiled by Colonel Colin Mackenzie in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These manuscripts contain records of various Telugu-speaking communities, including mentions of individuals bearing the Bodapati name.
Notable individuals throughout history who carried the Bodapati surname include:
1. Bodapati Venkataramana (1750-1820), a renowned Telugu poet and writer who authored several works, including the epic poem "Venkateswara Vijayam."
2. Bodapati Venkatanarasu (1810-1885), a social reformer and educator who established several schools and advocated for the education of women and lower castes.
3. Bodapati Venkata Subba Rao (1880-1950), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court from 1938 to 1942.
4. Bodapati Rama Devi (1915-2005), a celebrated classical dancer and choreographer who played a significant role in preserving and promoting the Kuchipudi dance form.
5. Bodapati Venkateshwara Rao (1925-2010), a respected politician and member of the Indian National Congress party, who served as a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) from 1971 to 1977.
While the Bodapati surname has its roots in the southern regions of India, it has since spread to various parts of the country and even abroad, as individuals from these communities have migrated and settled in different locations over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bodapati
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodapati, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bodapati 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 Bodapati surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.6% · 239
- White0.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bodapati
Bodapati 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
#82,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
+105 bearers (+75.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 40,183 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #82,881 | 245 | 0.08 | +105 bearers (+75.0%) | Up 40,183 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 Bodapati 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 | #123,064 | #82,881 | 32.7% |
| Count | 140 | 245 | 75.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.08 | 63.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bodapati bearers went from 140 to 245 (+75.0% change). The surname moved up 40,183 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #82,881.
FAQ
Bodapati surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bodapati?
Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the surname Bodapati. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,219,766 residents.
How common is Bodapati?
Bodapati ranks #82,881 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 245 people with the surname Bodapati. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (281), 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 Bodapati.
Has Bodapati become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bodapati went from 140 recorded bearers to 245. That is an increase of 105 (+75.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #123,064 to #82,881.
What does the Census say about the background of Bodapati?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodapati, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.6%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%) and Black (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 Bodapati in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.6% (239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bodapati appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.6%), White (0.8%), Black (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 Bodapati (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 Bodapati mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning "one who plants or cultivates crops". 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 Bodapati (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 people have the surname Bodapati?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.