2000
#20,898
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,174
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Raju
A surname of Indian origin commonly found among Hindu communities, meaning "king" or "prince".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,109 Americans carry the last name Raju. That puts it at #11,165 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,246 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raju 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 Raju with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,246
Census rank
#11,165
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,711 bearers of the surname Raju in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11165th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raju, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raju
The surname Raju is of Indian origin, specifically from the southern regions of the subcontinent. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 10th century.
Raju is derived from the Sanskrit word "Raja," which means "king" or "ruler." It was initially used as a title or honorific for those belonging to the ruling class or aristocracy. Over time, it evolved into a surname adopted by various families across India.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Raju surname can be found in the inscriptions and copper plate grants issued by the Pallava dynasty, which ruled parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 9th centuries CE. These ancient records mention individuals with the title "Raju" or variations such as "Rajendra" and "Rajaraja."
During the reign of the Chola Empire, which dominated the southern Indian regions from the 9th to 13th centuries, the Raju surname gained further prominence. Several notable figures from this period bore the Raju name, including the celebrated Chola ruler Raja Raja Chola I (985-1014 CE), who was responsible for the construction of the magnificent Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur.
Another influential figure with the Raju surname was Rajendra Chola I (1012-1044 CE), the son of Raja Raja Chola I. He expanded the Chola Empire to its greatest extent, with his conquests stretching from the Ganges River in the north to the islands of Sumatra and Malaya in the east.
In the later centuries, the Raju surname continued to be prevalent among various communities and ruling dynasties across southern India. One notable bearer of this name was Raju Sahib (1739-1828), a prominent military commander who served under the Maratha Empire and played a crucial role in several battles against the British East India Company.
During the colonial era, the Raju surname was also found among distinguished individuals from different walks of life. For instance, Raju Narayana Rao (1849-1916) was a renowned Telugu poet and writer who made significant contributions to the literary and cultural renaissance of the Andhra region.
Throughout history, the Raju surname has been associated with various place names and regions, including Rajuvaripeta, Rajupalemlanka, and Rajulapeta, among others, which were named after prominent individuals or families bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raju
Among Census respondents with the surname Raju, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Raju 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 Raju surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.1% · 2,442
- White3.3% · 90
- Two or more races2.7% · 73
- Black or African American2.2% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raju
Raju 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
#15,560
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,880
+706 bearers (+60.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 5,338 places
2020
#11,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,711
+831 bearers (+44.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 4,395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,898 | 1,174 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,560 | 1,880 | 0.64 | +706 bearers (+60.1%) | Up 5,338 places |
| 2020 | #11,165 | 2,711 | 0.91 | +831 bearers (+44.2%) | Up 4,395 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 Raju 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 | #15,560 | #11,165 | 28.2% |
| Count | 1,880 | 2,711 | 44.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.91 | 41.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raju bearers went from 1,880 to 2,711 (+44.2% change). The surname moved up 4,395 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,560 to #11,165.
FAQ
Raju surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raju?
Name Census estimates that about 3,109 living Americans carry the surname Raju. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,246 residents.
How common is Raju?
Raju ranks #11,165 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.91 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 2,711 people with the surname Raju. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.91 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 Raju.
Has Raju become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raju went from 1,880 recorded bearers to 2,711. That is an increase of 831 (+44.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,560 to #11,165.
What does the Census say about the background of Raju?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raju, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Raju in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (2,442 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raju appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.1%), White (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Raju (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 Raju mean?
A surname of Indian origin commonly found among Hindu communities, meaning "king" or "prince". 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 Raju (0.91 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 share the surname Raju?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.