2010
#95,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 192
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Chivukula
A surname of Indian origin indicating a person from the Chivukula village or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 350 Americans carry the last name Chivukula. That puts it at #69,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 979,298 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chivukula 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
350
1 in 979,298
Census rank
#69,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
305
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 305 bearers of the surname Chivukula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chivukula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chivukula
The surname CHIVUKULA is believed to have originated in South India, specifically in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is thought to be derived from the Telugu word "Chivuku," which means "ant hill" or "termite mound." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a specific location or region known for its ant hills or termite mounds.
The earliest known records of the CHIVUKULA surname date back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts from the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Deccan Plateau in South India. One notable reference can be found in the "Amuktamalyada," a 16th-century Telugu literary work authored by Krishnadevaraya, where the name CHIVUKULA is mentioned in connection with a prominent family or clan.
In the 17th century, the CHIVUKULA surname was associated with several influential families in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. Records from this period indicate that individuals bearing this surname held positions of authority and influence within local governance and administrative structures. One such individual was Chivukula Venkata Reddy, a prominent landowner and chieftain who lived in the latter half of the 17th century.
As the centuries progressed, the CHIVUKULA surname spread beyond its initial region of origin, with members of the community settling in various parts of South India and eventually across the globe. Notable individuals with this surname include:
1. Chivukula Jayaram Naidu (1905-1986), an Indian freedom fighter and political leader from Andhra Pradesh.
2. Chivukula Purushottam Rao (1913-2003), a renowned Telugu writer and literary critic.
3. Chivukula Venkata Subbaiah (1920-1995), an eminent scholar of Telugu literature and linguistics.
4. Chivukula Upendra Rao (1927-2019), a pioneering engineer and educator who made significant contributions to the field of civil engineering.
5. Chivukula Satyanarayana Murthy (born 1946), a distinguished Indian mathematician and academic.
While the CHIVUKULA surname has ancient roots in South India, it has since spread across the globe, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions in various fields, including literature, politics, academia, and more.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chivukula
Among Census respondents with the surname Chivukula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Chivukula 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 Chivukula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.1% · 290
- White2.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 4
- Two or more races1.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chivukula
Chivukula 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
#69,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 305
+113 bearers (+58.9%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 25,750 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #95,115 | 192 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #69,365 | 305 | 0.10 | +113 bearers (+58.9%) | Up 25,750 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 Chivukula 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 | #95,115 | #69,365 | 27.1% |
| Count | 192 | 305 | 58.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.10 | 45.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chivukula bearers went from 192 to 305 (+58.9% change). The surname moved up 25,750 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,115 to #69,365.
FAQ
Chivukula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chivukula?
Name Census estimates that about 350 living Americans carry the surname Chivukula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 979,298 residents.
How common is Chivukula?
Chivukula ranks #69,365 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 305 people with the surname Chivukula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (350), 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 Chivukula.
Has Chivukula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chivukula went from 192 recorded bearers to 305. That is an increase of 113 (+58.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,115 to #69,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Chivukula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chivukula, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Chivukula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (290 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chivukula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.1%), White (2.0%), Hispanic (1.3%). 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 Chivukula (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 Chivukula mean?
A surname of Indian origin indicating a person from the Chivukula village or region. 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 Chivukula (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 people have the surname Chivukula?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.