2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Salunga
A surname of uncertain origin, potentially derived from a place name or an occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Salunga. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salunga 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Salunga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salunga, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salunga
The surname Salunga has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Punjab. It is believed to have emerged around the 15th century and is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "salila," meaning "water" or "stream." This suggests that the name may have been associated with those who lived near bodies of water or worked in occupations related to water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salunga can be found in the Mughal imperial records from the 16th century. These records mention a group of people with the surname Salunga residing in the area around the city of Lahore, which was a significant center of trade and commerce during that time.
In the 17th century, the name Salunga appeared in several historical manuscripts and chronicles, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in various parts of the Punjab region. One notable example is the mention of a Salunga family in the village of Sialkot, which was known for its skilled artisans and craftsmen.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Salunga surname became more widely dispersed across the Indian subcontinent, with individuals bearing this name found in various professions and occupations. One notable figure from this period was Salunga Singh (1780-1850), a renowned military leader and commander who served under the Sikh Empire.
Another notable individual with the Salunga surname was Salunga Devi (1810-1885), a renowned poet and writer from the region of Uttar Pradesh. Her works were widely acclaimed for their lyrical beauty and insightful commentary on social and cultural issues of the time.
In the 20th century, the Salunga surname gained further prominence with individuals like Salunga Rai (1920-1995), a prominent politician and social activist who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement and served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India.
Additionally, the name Salunga has been associated with various place names and geographical locations within the Indian subcontinent. For example, the village of Salunga in the state of Punjab is believed to have derived its name from the surname itself, indicating the presence of a significant population of individuals with this surname in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salunga
Among Census respondents with the surname Salunga, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Salunga 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 Salunga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.4% · 107
- Two or more races8.3% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- White0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salunga
Salunga 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
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+17 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,735 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 14,735 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 Salunga 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 | #156,044 | #141,309 | 9.4% |
| Count | 104 | 121 | 16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salunga bearers went from 104 to 121 (+16.3% change). The surname moved up 14,735 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #141,309.
FAQ
Salunga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salunga?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Salunga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Salunga?
Salunga ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Salunga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Salunga.
Has Salunga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salunga went from 104 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 17 (+16.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Salunga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salunga, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Salunga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salunga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.4%), Two or More Races (8.3%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Salunga (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 Salunga mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, potentially derived from a place name or an occupation. 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 Salunga (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 people have the last name Salunga?
Want to know how many people have the last name Salunga? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.