2010
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kudia
A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from a place name or an occupational term.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Kudia. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kudia 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Kudia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kudia, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.5%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kudia
The surname KUDIA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Punjab. It can be traced back to the 16th century and is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word 'kudiya', which means a small house or hut.
In the early days, the name was likely associated with individuals who either resided in or were responsible for the construction and maintenance of such dwellings. The name appears in several historical records from the region, including land ownership documents and tax registers.
One of the earliest known references to the name KUDIA can be found in the 'Ain-i-Akbari', a 16th-century chronicle commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a certain Kudia Singh, who was a landowner in the village of Kalanaur, located in what is now the Indian state of Haryana.
Another notable early bearer of the name was Bhai Kudia, a Sikh warrior who fought alongside Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, in the late 17th century. Bhai Kudia is revered for his bravery and sacrifice in defending the Sikh faith.
In the 18th century, there are records of a Kudia Mal, a wealthy merchant from the city of Lahore, who was known for his philanthropic endeavors and support for educational institutions.
As the name spread across the region, it underwent various spellings and variations, such as Kudiya, Kudia, and Kudia. Some of these variations can be found in historical documents from different parts of Punjab and neighboring areas.
During the 19th century, the name KUDIA gained prominence with individuals like Sardar Kudia Singh Bedi, a prominent landowner and community leader from the village of Bedi in Punjab. Another notable figure was Kudia Ram, a scholar and educator who established several schools in the region.
In more recent times, the name KUDIA has been carried by individuals such as Dr. Kudia Lal Ralhan, a renowned physician and philanthropist from Punjab, and Kudia Singh, a prominent politician and member of the Indian Parliament in the 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kudia
Among Census respondents with the surname Kudia, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.5%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kudia 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 Kudia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.3% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander29.5% · 33
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kudia
Kudia 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-10 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,627 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 10,627 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 Kudia 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 | #137,327 | #147,954 | -7.7% |
| Count | 122 | 112 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kudia bearers went from 122 to 112 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 10,627 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #147,954.
FAQ
Kudia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kudia?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Kudia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Kudia?
Kudia ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Kudia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Kudia.
Has Kudia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kudia went from 122 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Kudia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kudia, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (29.5%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kudia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.3% (72 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kudia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (29.5%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Kudia (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 Kudia mean?
A surname of Indian origin, possibly derived from a place name or an occupational term. 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 Kudia (0.04 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 Kudia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.