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

Subba, 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 Subba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Subba in America

Subba is the 37229th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Subba surname appeared 599 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 Subba.

The history of the last name Subba

The surname "SUBBA" originates from Nepal and parts of Northeast India. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Subha" or "Subarna," meaning "golden" or "auspicious." The name gained prominence during the medieval period in the Himalayan region.

The earliest recorded instances of the Subba surname can be traced back to the 14th century, when it was used by members of the Kirat community, an indigenous ethnic group in Nepal and the neighboring Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal. The Subba surname was particularly prevalent among the ruling class and aristocracy of the Kirat people.

In the 16th century, the Subba surname appears in several historical manuscripts and records from the region, including the Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great. The Ain-i-Akbari mentions the Subba community as a prominent group in the eastern Himalayan regions.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Subba surname was Sher Bahadur Subba, a Nepali military leader who played a significant role in the unification of Nepal during the late 18th century. He served as a commander under the legendary King Prithvi Narayan Shah.

Another notable figure was Chandra Kanta Subba, a Nepali writer and poet who lived from 1899 to 1978. He is renowned for his contributions to Nepali literature and his efforts in promoting the use of the Nepali language in education and administration.

In the 20th century, Iman Singh Subba (1923-2003) gained recognition as a influential political leader and activist in Sikkim. He played a pivotal role in the state's merger with India and served as the first Chief Minister of Sikkim after it became a state of the Indian Union.

The Subba surname has also been associated with various place names in the region, such as Subba Gaon (meaning "Subba Village") in West Bengal, India, and Subba Khola (meaning "Subba River") in eastern Nepal.

While the Subba surname is most commonly found in Nepal, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities, particularly in countries like India, Bhutan, and the United Kingdom.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Subba

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

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 Subba 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.

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 Subba was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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