Find out how popular the last name Sarma is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sarma.

Sarma, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sarma surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sarma in America

Sarma is the 39887th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sarma surname appeared 550 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sarma.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sarma to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sarma

The surname SARMA is of Indian origin, believed to have originated in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Sarman," meaning "armor" or "shield," suggesting a connection to military or warrior lineages. The name likely emerged during the ancient Vedic period, which dates back to around 1500 BCE.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the SARMA surname can be traced back to the Gupta Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent from the 4th to the 6th century CE. Inscriptions and manuscripts from this period mention individuals bearing the SARMA name, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.

During the medieval period, the SARMA surname was particularly prevalent among the Brahmin community, which was associated with scholarly and priestly roles. Several notable figures from this period bore the SARMA name, including Madhava Sarma (c. 1350 CE), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of calculus.

In the 16th century, the SARMA surname can be found in historical records from the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled over large parts of southern India. One notable figure from this period was Govinda Sarma (c. 1550 CE), a prominent scholar and poet who authored several works in Sanskrit and Telugu.

As the SARMA surname spread across different regions of India, variations in spelling emerged, such as Sharma, Sarmah, and Sarmaya. These variations often reflected regional linguistic influences and dialects.

Several notable individuals with the SARMA surname have left their mark throughout history, including:

1. Aryabhata Sarma (476-550 CE), a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who pioneered the study of algebra and trigonometry.

2. Nilakantha Sarma (c. 1444-1543 CE), a celebrated mathematician and astronomer from the Kerala region, best known for his works on the calculation of planetary positions.

3. Jagannatha Sarma (c. 1600 CE), a prominent Sanskrit scholar and grammarian from the Deccan region, who authored several influential works on grammar and linguistics.

4. Bhaskaracharya Sarma (c. 1114-1185 CE), a renowned mathematician and astronomer from Karnataka, known for his contributions to the field of calculus and his influential work, the Siddhanta Shiromani.

5. Venkatadri Sarma (c. 1670-1745 CE), a prominent philosopher and logician from Tamil Nadu, who authored several treatises on Advaita Vedanta and logic.

While the SARMA surname has its roots in ancient India, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have migrated or settled in different regions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sarma

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sarma.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sarma was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sarma has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sarma was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sarma, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!