2000
#26,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 862
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Naidu
A Telugu surname denoting a landowner or village headman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,346 Americans carry the last name Naidu. That puts it at #14,094 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 146,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naidu 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Naidu with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 146,102
Census rank
#14,094
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,046 bearers of the surname Naidu in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14094th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naidu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naidu
The surname Naidu has its origins in India and is derived from the Telugu language, which is spoken predominantly in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The name Naidu is a title that was historically used to refer to the leaders or chieftains of various communities or villages in these regions.
Naidu is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "Nayaka," which means "leader" or "chief." Over time, the word underwent linguistic changes and evolved into the Telugu word "Naidu," which became a hereditary title passed down through generations within certain families or communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Naidu can be traced back to the medieval period, particularly during the reign of the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled parts of southern India from the 14th to the 17th century. Several historical records and inscriptions from this era mention individuals bearing the title "Naidu" as leaders or administrators in various regions.
One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Naidu was Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949), a renowned Indian political activist, poet, and a prominent figure in India's struggle for independence from British rule. She was born in Hyderabad and played a significant role in the Indian National Congress. Sarojini Naidu was also known as the "Nightingale of India" for her poetic works.
Another prominent individual with the surname Naidu was Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (1923-1996), popularly known as N.T. Rama Rao or NTR. He was an Indian actor, filmmaker, and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1983 to 1995. NTR played a pivotal role in the formation of the Telugu Desam Party and was instrumental in shaping the political landscape of the state.
In more recent history, P. V. Narasimha Rao (1921-2004) was an Indian lawyer and politician who served as the 9th Prime Minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He is credited with initiating major economic reforms in India, which paved the way for the country's economic liberalization.
Another notable figure with the surname Naidu is Nara Chandrababu Naidu (born 1950), an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1995 to 2004 and again from 2014 to 2019. He is the founder and former president of the Telugu Desam Party.
Lastly, M. Venkaiah Naidu (born 1949) is an Indian politician who currently serves as the 13th Vice President of India since 2017. He previously held various ministerial positions in the Indian government and was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While the surname Naidu has its roots in southern India, particularly in the Telugu-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the country and can be found among various communities and linguistic groups. The name continues to hold significance and historical relevance as a title associated with leadership and administrative roles in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naidu
Among Census respondents with the surname Naidu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Naidu 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 Naidu surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.6% · 1,752
- White5.1% · 104
- Two or more races4.3% · 88
- Black or African American2.9% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naidu
Naidu 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
#18,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,513
+651 bearers (+75.5%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 8,270 places
2020
#14,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,046
+533 bearers (+35.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 4,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,587 | 862 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,317 | 1,513 | 0.51 | +651 bearers (+75.5%) | Up 8,270 places |
| 2020 | #14,094 | 2,046 | 0.68 | +533 bearers (+35.2%) | Up 4,223 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 Naidu 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 | #18,317 | #14,094 | 23.1% |
| Count | 1,513 | 2,046 | 35.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.68 | 34.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naidu bearers went from 1,513 to 2,046 (+35.2% change). The surname moved up 4,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,317 to #14,094.
FAQ
Naidu surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naidu?
Name Census estimates that about 2,346 living Americans carry the surname Naidu. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 146,102 residents.
How common is Naidu?
Naidu ranks #14,094 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,046 people with the surname Naidu. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Naidu.
Has Naidu become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naidu went from 1,513 recorded bearers to 2,046. That is an increase of 533 (+35.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,317 to #14,094.
What does the Census say about the background of Naidu?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naidu, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Naidu in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (1,752 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naidu appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.6%), White (5.1%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Naidu (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 Naidu mean?
A Telugu surname denoting a landowner or village headman. 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 Naidu (0.68 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 are called Naidu?
You can see how many people have the surname Naidu on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.