2000
#14,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,820
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Subramanian
A South Indian surname indicating a person belonging to the Hindu Brahmin caste, originally from the Tamil region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,587 Americans carry the last name Subramanian. That puts it at #6,662 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,349 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Subramanian 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Subramanian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.6K
1 in 61,349
Census rank
#6,662
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,872 bearers of the surname Subramanian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6662nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Subramanian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Subramanian
The surname Subramanian has its origins in India, dating back several centuries. It is a Tamil name derived from the combination of the Sanskrit words "su" meaning good or auspicious, "brahman" meaning the divine creator, and the suffix "iyan" denoting a belonging or association.
The earliest known references to the name can be traced to ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions from the 5th century CE in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by Brahmin families who performed sacred rituals and served as priests in Hindu temples.
In the 8th century CE, the Subramanian name appeared in copper plate inscriptions from the Pallava dynasty, which ruled large parts of southern India. One notable figure was Subramanian Dikshitar, a renowned composer of Carnatic music who lived between 1835 and 1897.
During the medieval period, the Subramanian name gained prominence among the Tamil Brahmin community, particularly in the regions of Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, and Madurai. Several Subramanian families were patrons of art, literature, and architecture, contributing to the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu.
In the 16th century, a Subramanian by the name of Govinda Dikshitar (1535-1616) was a notable scholar and philosopher who wrote extensively on Vedanta and Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy.
Another illustrious figure was Subramanian Bharathi (1882-1921), a pioneering Tamil writer, poet, and independence activist who played a pivotal role in the Indian freedom struggle against British colonial rule.
Over time, the Subramanian name has spread beyond Tamil Nadu to other parts of India and across the globe through migration and diaspora communities. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Subramanian Swamy (born 1939), an Indian politician and former Cabinet minister, and Subramanian Ramadorai (born 1945), a former CEO of Tata Consultancy Services.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Subramanian
Among Census respondents with the surname Subramanian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Subramanian 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 Subramanian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.2% · 4,640
- White2.2% · 109
- Two or more races1.9% · 93
- Black or African American0.3% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Subramanian
Subramanian 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
#9,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,443
+1,623 bearers (+89.2%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 5,471 places
2020
#6,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,872
+1,429 bearers (+41.5%)
Per 100,000 1.63
Rank movement Up 2,787 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,920 | 1,820 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,449 | 3,443 | 1.17 | +1,623 bearers (+89.2%) | Up 5,471 places |
| 2020 | #6,662 | 4,872 | 1.63 | +1,429 bearers (+41.5%) | Up 2,787 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 Subramanian 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 | #9,449 | #6,662 | 29.5% |
| Count | 3,443 | 4,872 | 41.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.63 | 39.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Subramanian bearers went from 3,443 to 4,872 (+41.5% change). The surname moved up 2,787 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,449 to #6,662.
FAQ
Subramanian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Subramanian?
Name Census estimates that about 5,587 living Americans carry the surname Subramanian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,349 residents.
How common is Subramanian?
Subramanian ranks #6,662 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,872 people with the surname Subramanian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,587), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Subramanian.
Has Subramanian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Subramanian went from 3,443 recorded bearers to 4,872. That is an increase of 1,429 (+41.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,449 to #6,662.
What does the Census say about the background of Subramanian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Subramanian, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Subramanian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (4,640 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Subramanian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.2%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Subramanian (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 Subramanian mean?
A South Indian surname indicating a person belonging to the Hindu Brahmin caste, originally from the Tamil region. 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 Subramanian (1.63 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 Subramanian?
See how many people have the last name Subramanian on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.