2010
#93,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Boddu
An Indian surname of uncertain origin, possibly from a village name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 613 Americans carry the last name Boddu. That puts it at #43,505 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 559,142 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Boddu 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
613
1 in 559,142
Census rank
#43,505
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
535
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 535 bearers of the surname Boddu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43505th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Boddu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Boddu
The surname Boddu is believed to have originated in India, particularly in the southern regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is derived from the Telugu word "Boddu," which means "goal" or "target." The name is thought to have been given to individuals who excelled in archery or other target-based activities.
One of the earliest records of the name Boddu can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it is mentioned as a surname of certain families or communities. The name has been recorded in various historical documents and records dating back to the 16th century.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Boddu Venkanna (1625-1680) gained recognition as a renowned Telugu poet and writer. His works, such as "Panduranga Mahatyam" and "Bhakta Vijayam," are considered classics in Telugu literature.
Another prominent individual with the surname Boddu was Boddu Rama Sundara Rao (1820-1890), a social reformer and educator from Andhra Pradesh. He played a significant role in promoting education and social reforms in the region during the British colonial period.
In the 20th century, Boddu Nageswara Rao (1905-1990) made a name for himself as a distinguished Telugu writer and journalist. He was the founder of the popular Telugu magazine "Andhra Prabha" and contributed to the growth of Telugu literature through his novels, short stories, and essays.
Boddu Venkata Ramana (1930-2010) was a renowned agricultural scientist and policymaker from Andhra Pradesh. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University and played a pivotal role in advancing agricultural research and development in the region.
While the surname Boddu is primarily found in the southern states of India, it has also spread to other parts of the country and across the globe due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical origins and significance of the name remain deeply rooted in the cultural and linguistic heritage of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Boddu
Among Census respondents with the surname Boddu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Boddu 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 Boddu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.8% · 518
- White1.5% · 8
- Two or more races0.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 3
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Boddu
Boddu 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
#43,505
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 535
+339 bearers (+173.0%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 50,008 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #93,513 | 196 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #43,505 | 535 | 0.18 | +339 bearers (+173.0%) | Up 50,008 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 Boddu 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 | #93,513 | #43,505 | 53.5% |
| Count | 196 | 535 | 173.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.18 | 155.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Boddu bearers went from 196 to 535 (+173.0% change). The surname moved up 50,008 positions in the national ranking, going from #93,513 to #43,505.
FAQ
Boddu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Boddu?
Name Census estimates that about 613 living Americans carry the surname Boddu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 559,142 residents.
How common is Boddu?
Boddu ranks #43,505 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 535 people with the surname Boddu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (613), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Boddu.
Has Boddu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Boddu went from 196 recorded bearers to 535. That is an increase of 339 (+173.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #93,513 to #43,505.
What does the Census say about the background of Boddu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Boddu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.8%. The next largest groups are White (1.5%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Boddu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (518 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Boddu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.8%), White (1.5%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Boddu (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 Boddu mean?
An Indian surname of uncertain origin, possibly from a village name. 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 Boddu (0.18 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 share the surname Boddu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.