2010
#86,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Bulusu
A surname of Telugu origin indicating a place of residence or native village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 316 Americans carry the last name Bulusu. That puts it at #75,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,084,666 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bulusu 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
316
1 in 1,084,666
Census rank
#75,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
276
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 276 bearers of the surname Bulusu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 75363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulusu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bulusu
The surname BULUSU is of Indian origin, specifically from the Telugu-speaking regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It can be traced back to the 12th century CE, during the reign of the Kakatiya dynasty.
BULUSU is derived from the Telugu word "bulisu," which means "to call" or "to summon." It is believed that the name was originally given to village criers or messengers who were responsible for making announcements or delivering important messages within their communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BULUSU surname can be found in the Kakatiya inscriptions, which were stone inscriptions commissioned by the Kakatiya rulers to document their achievements and important events. These inscriptions were written in the Telugu language and often included the names of prominent individuals, including those with the BULUSU surname.
In the 14th century, during the Vijayanagara Empire, the BULUSU surname is mentioned in several copper plate inscriptions, which were used to record land grants and other official transactions. These inscriptions provide valuable insights into the social and economic status of individuals bearing the BULUSU name during that time period.
Notable people with the BULUSU surname throughout history include:
1. Bulusu Venkateswarlu (1870-1940), a renowned Telugu poet and writer who contributed significantly to the literary renaissance of the Telugu language.
2. Bulusu Sambamurthy (1892-1976), a pioneering Indian musicologist and author who wrote extensively on Carnatic music theory and practice.
3. Bulusu Krishnaiah (1917-1984), a prominent Telugu film actor and singer who appeared in over 200 movies during the golden age of Telugu cinema.
4. Bulusu Vamana Rao (1932-2010), a celebrated Telugu novelist and short story writer, known for his realistic portrayal of rural life and social issues.
5. Bulusu Sudhakar Reddy (born 1960), a renowned Indian civil servant who served as the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh and received the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2015.
While the BULUSU surname has its roots in the Telugu-speaking regions of India, it has since spread to other parts of the country and even to other countries due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical significance of the name can be traced back to the medieval period in the Deccan region of South India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bulusu
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulusu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bulusu 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 Bulusu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.3% · 263
- White2.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bulusu
Bulusu 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
#75,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 276
+61 bearers (+28.4%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 11,282 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #86,645 | 215 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #75,363 | 276 | 0.09 | +61 bearers (+28.4%) | Up 11,282 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 Bulusu 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 | #86,645 | #75,363 | 13.0% |
| Count | 215 | 276 | 28.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 31.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bulusu bearers went from 215 to 276 (+28.4% change). The surname moved up 11,282 positions in the national ranking, going from #86,645 to #75,363.
FAQ
Bulusu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bulusu?
Name Census estimates that about 316 living Americans carry the surname Bulusu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,084,666 residents.
How common is Bulusu?
Bulusu ranks #75,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 276 people with the surname Bulusu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Bulusu.
Has Bulusu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bulusu went from 215 recorded bearers to 276. That is an increase of 61 (+28.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #86,645 to #75,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Bulusu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulusu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.3%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Bulusu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (263 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bulusu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.3%), White (2.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Bulusu (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 Bulusu mean?
A surname of Telugu origin indicating a place of residence or native village. 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 Bulusu (0.09 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 Bulusu?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.