2000
#101,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 165
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Samlal
A surname derived from a combination of the words "sam" (Sanskrit for "equal") and "lal" (Hindi for "beloved" or "dear one").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 281 Americans carry the last name Samlal. That puts it at #82,881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,219,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samlal 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
281
1 in 1,219,766
Census rank
#82,881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
245
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 245 bearers of the surname Samlal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 82881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samlal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%) and Two or More Races (14.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samlal
The surname SAMLAL is of Indian origin, specifically from the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "sam-lal," which means "the color red" or "ruby-colored." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone with a reddish complexion or hair color.
The earliest known records of the SAMLAL surname can be traced back to the 16th century, during the Mughal Empire's rule over northern India. It is mentioned in several historical documents and manuscripts from that era, particularly in regions like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab.
One notable historical reference is the appearance of the name SAMLAL in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document provides details on the revenue system, military organization, and other administrative aspects of the empire during that time period.
In the 17th century, a renowned poet and scholar named Samlal Mishra was born in the village of Rajapur, near the city of Varanasi. He was known for his contributions to Sanskrit literature and is considered one of the most influential figures in the medieval period of Hindi poetry.
Another prominent individual with the SAMLAL surname was Samlal Gupta, a 19th-century mathematician and astronomer from Uttar Pradesh. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is credited with developing several new theories and formulas.
In the early 20th century, Samlal Singhal was a prominent businessman and industrialist from Rajasthan. He established several successful textile factories and played a crucial role in the economic development of the region during that time.
Samlal Bajaj, born in 1914 in Uttar Pradesh, was a renowned freedom fighter and social activist. He actively participated in the Indian independence movement and later worked towards promoting education and social welfare initiatives in the country.
Over the centuries, the SAMLAL surname has also been associated with various place names and locations in northern India. For example, Samlalpur and Samlalpura are villages in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, respectively, which may have derived their names from individuals or families with the SAMLAL surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samlal
Among Census respondents with the surname Samlal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%) and Two or More Races (14.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Samlal 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 Samlal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.3% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander28.6% · 70
- Two or more races14.7% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 20
- White4.9% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samlal
Samlal 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
#79,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
+73 bearers (+44.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 21,311 places
2020
#82,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
+7 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 3,035 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #101,157 | 165 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,846 | 238 | 0.08 | +73 bearers (+44.2%) | Up 21,311 places |
| 2020 | #82,881 | 245 | 0.08 | +7 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 3,035 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 Samlal 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 | #79,846 | #82,881 | -3.8% |
| Count | 238 | 245 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samlal bearers went from 238 to 245 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 3,035 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,846 to #82,881.
FAQ
Samlal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samlal?
Name Census estimates that about 281 living Americans carry the surname Samlal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,219,766 residents.
How common is Samlal?
Samlal ranks #82,881 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 245 people with the surname Samlal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Samlal.
Has Samlal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samlal went from 238 recorded bearers to 245. That is an increase of 7 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #79,846 to #82,881.
What does the Census say about the background of Samlal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samlal, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%) and Two or More Races (14.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Samlal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.3% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samlal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (28.6%), Two or More Races (14.7%). 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 Samlal (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 Samlal mean?
A surname derived from a combination of the words "sam" (Sanskrit for "equal") and "lal" (Hindi for "beloved" or "dear one"). 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 Samlal (0.08 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 Samlal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.