2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Setlur
A topographic surname likely denoting someone who lived near a saddle or flat area between hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Setlur. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Setlur 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Setlur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Setlur, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Setlur
The surname Setlur is of Indian origin, traced back to the Tamil-speaking regions of southern India. The name is derived from the Tamil word "Seththu," which means "bridge" or "causeway." This suggests that the ancestors of those bearing this surname may have lived near a significant bridge or causeway, or perhaps worked in a profession related to such structures.
One of the earliest known references to the name Setlur can be found in inscriptions dating back to the 9th century CE. These inscriptions were carved into the walls of ancient temples in the Tamil Nadu region, suggesting that the name was already well-established during the Chola dynasty.
In the 13th century, a prominent scholar and writer named Setlur Narayana Sastri gained recognition for his literary works. He is believed to have been born in the village of Setlur, which may have contributed to the widespread use of the surname in that region.
During the 16th century, the Setlur family gained prominence as administrators and bureaucrats under the Vijayanagar Empire. One notable figure from this time was Setlur Venkata Krishnappa Nayaka, who served as a minister and military commander.
In the 18th century, a Setlur family established a thriving trade business in textiles and spices, with operations spanning across southern India and parts of Sri Lanka. Setlur Ranga Naidu, born in 1745, was a successful merchant and philanthropist who founded several educational institutions in his hometown.
Another prominent individual with the surname Setlur was Chudamani Setlur, born in 1876. She was a pioneering social reformer and activist who fought for women's education and rights, challenging the societal norms of her time.
While the surname Setlur is more commonly found in southern India, particularly in the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, it has also spread to other parts of the country and even abroad, as families migrated and settled in different regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Setlur
Among Census respondents with the surname Setlur, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Setlur 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 Setlur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.4% · 104
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- White2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Setlur
Setlur 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
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+13 bearers (+12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 12,675 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.7%) | Up 12,675 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 Setlur 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 | #158,432 | #145,757 | 8.0% |
| Count | 102 | 115 | 12.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Setlur bearers went from 102 to 115 (+12.7% change). The surname moved up 12,675 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #145,757.
FAQ
Setlur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Setlur?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Setlur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Setlur?
Setlur ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Setlur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Setlur.
Has Setlur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Setlur went from 102 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 13 (+12.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Setlur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Setlur, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (2.6%). 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 Setlur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Setlur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%), White (2.6%). 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 Setlur (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 Setlur mean?
A topographic surname likely denoting someone who lived near a saddle or flat area between hills. 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 Setlur (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 Setlur?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Setlur, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.