2000
#97,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Kolla
A surname of Indian origin meaning "shepherd" or "herdsman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 795 Americans carry the last name Kolla. That puts it at #35,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 431,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolla 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
795
1 in 431,138
Census rank
#35,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
693
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 693 bearers of the surname Kolla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolla
The surname Kolla has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the state of Kerala, located in the southwestern region of the country. Historically, the name Kolla was a title or honorific used to address certain communities involved in trade and commerce, particularly those engaged in maritime activities and overseas trade.
The earliest records of the surname Kolla can be traced back to the 9th century CE, during the reign of the Chera dynasty in Kerala. This dynasty played a significant role in promoting maritime trade and commerce in the region, and the Kolla community was an integral part of this thriving trade network.
The name Kolla is derived from the Tamil word "kollan," which means "merchant" or "trader." It is believed that the Kolla community originated from the coastal regions of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where they were known for their expertise in seafaring and maritime trade.
In the historical records of the Chera dynasty, there are several references to the Kolla community and their involvement in overseas trade with various regions, including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and even as far as China. One notable mention is in the Tharisapalli copper plate inscriptions, dated around the 9th century CE, which mention the Kolla community as prominent merchants and traders.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kolla was Kolla Ravi (c. 950 CE – 1010 CE), a renowned merchant and navigator from the port city of Calicut (present-day Kozhikode) in Kerala. He is credited with establishing trade routes and fostering commercial ties with the Middle Eastern regions during his time.
Another prominent figure was Kolla Venkatesan (1550 CE – 1620 CE), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from the Kolla community. He is known for his contributions to the construction of temples and educational institutions in the region, as well as his support for the arts and literature.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Kolla community played a significant role in the spice trade between India and various European nations, including the Dutch, Portuguese, and British. Kolla Narayanan (1580 CE – 1650 CE) was a prominent spice trader who established trade relationships with the Dutch East India Company, facilitating the export of spices from the Malabar Coast.
In the 18th century, Kolla Govindan (1720 CE – 1790 CE) was a respected merchant and philanthropist who contributed to the development of infrastructure and educational institutions in his hometown of Alappuzha, Kerala.
Another notable figure was Kolla Krishnan (1805 CE – 1875 CE), a renowned scholar and linguist from the Kolla community. He was instrumental in preserving and promoting the Malayalam language and literature during the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolla
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolla 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 Kolla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.4% · 606
- White9.7% · 67
- Two or more races1.0% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolla
Kolla 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
#52,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 395
+223 bearers (+129.7%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 45,366 places
2020
#35,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
+298 bearers (+75.4%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 17,423 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,848 | 172 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,482 | 395 | 0.13 | +223 bearers (+129.7%) | Up 45,366 places |
| 2020 | #35,059 | 693 | 0.23 | +298 bearers (+75.4%) | Up 17,423 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 Kolla 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 | #52,482 | #35,059 | 33.2% |
| Count | 395 | 693 | 75.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.23 | 78.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolla bearers went from 395 to 693 (+75.4% change). The surname moved up 17,423 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,482 to #35,059.
FAQ
Kolla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolla?
Name Census estimates that about 795 living Americans carry the surname Kolla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 431,138 residents.
How common is Kolla?
Kolla ranks #35,059 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 693 people with the surname Kolla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (795), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Kolla.
Has Kolla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolla went from 395 recorded bearers to 693. That is an increase of 298 (+75.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,482 to #35,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.4%. The next largest groups are White (9.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Kolla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (606 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.4%), White (9.7%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Kolla (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 Kolla mean?
A surname of Indian origin meaning "shepherd" or "herdsman". 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 Kolla (0.23 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 last name Kolla?
Want to know how many people have the last name Kolla? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.