2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Garimella
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Telugu word meaning 'pit' or 'hole'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 539 Americans carry the last name Garimella. That puts it at #48,549 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 635,908 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Garimella 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
539
1 in 635,908
Census rank
#48,549
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
470
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 470 bearers of the surname Garimella in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48549th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Garimella, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Garimella
The surname Garimella originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern region of Andhra Pradesh. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th or 17th century. The name is derived from the Telugu language, with "Gari" meaning "village" and "Mella" meaning "upper" or "superior." Together, the name suggests a connection to an upper or prominent village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Garimella can be found in historical documents from the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled parts of southern India between the 14th and 17th centuries. These documents mention individuals with the surname Garimella holding positions of authority in various villages and towns.
During the colonial era, the name Garimella appeared in records maintained by the British East India Company, which governed parts of India from the 18th to the mid-19th century. These records often listed Garimella as a prominent surname among landowners and local administrators in the Andhra region.
Notable individuals with the surname Garimella throughout history include:
1. Garimella Satyanarayana (1880-1958), a renowned Telugu poet and writer who contributed significantly to the literary landscape of Andhra Pradesh.
2. Garimella Balakrishna (1910-1992), a prominent freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule.
3. Garimella Ramakrishna (1933-2017), a distinguished economist and former member of the Planning Commission of India.
4. Garimella Krishnamurti (1947-2021), a celebrated classical dancer and choreographer known for his contributions to the Kuchipudi dance form.
5. Garimella Suresh Babu (born 1964), a successful entrepreneur and industrialist who founded the Suresh Group of Companies.
While the Garimella surname has its roots in Andhra Pradesh, it has since spread to other parts of India and the world due to migration and diaspora. However, the earliest and most prominent historical references to this surname can be traced back to the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Garimella
Among Census respondents with the surname Garimella, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Garimella 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 Garimella surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander94.9% · 446
- White2.6% · 12
- Two or more races1.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 2
- Black or African American0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Garimella
Garimella 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
#68,345
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 288
+157 bearers (+119.8%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 53,435 places
2020
#48,549
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 470
+182 bearers (+63.2%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 19,796 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,345 | 288 | 0.10 | +157 bearers (+119.8%) | Up 53,435 places |
| 2020 | #48,549 | 470 | 0.16 | +182 bearers (+63.2%) | Up 19,796 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 Garimella 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 | #68,345 | #48,549 | 29.0% |
| Count | 288 | 470 | 63.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.16 | 57.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Garimella bearers went from 288 to 470 (+63.2% change). The surname moved up 19,796 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,345 to #48,549.
FAQ
Garimella surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Garimella?
Name Census estimates that about 539 living Americans carry the surname Garimella. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 635,908 residents.
How common is Garimella?
Garimella ranks #48,549 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 470 people with the surname Garimella. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (539), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Garimella.
Has Garimella become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Garimella went from 288 recorded bearers to 470. That is an increase of 182 (+63.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #68,345 to #48,549.
What does the Census say about the background of Garimella?
Among Census respondents with the surname Garimella, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 94.9%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Garimella in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.9% (446 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Garimella appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (94.9%), White (2.6%), Two or More Races (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 Garimella (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 Garimella mean?
A surname of Indian origin, derived from the Telugu word meaning 'pit' or 'hole'. 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 Garimella (0.16 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 Garimella?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.