2000
#16,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,569
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Sultana
A surname denoting a person descended from a sultan or one who served in a sultan's court.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,770 Americans carry the last name Sultana. That puts it at #5,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,628 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sultana 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 Sultana with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,628
Census rank
#5,661
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,904 bearers of the surname Sultana in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sultana, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sultana
The surname Sultana originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region that is now modern-day Turkey. It is derived from the Arabic word "Sultan," which means "ruler" or "sovereign." The name first appeared in historical records during the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeastern Europe from the 14th to the early 20th century.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Sultana can be found in Ottoman court documents from the 15th century. During this time, the name was often used to refer to the wives or daughters of Ottoman sultans, as well as other high-ranking officials within the empire.
In the 16th century, the Sultana family played a significant role in the administration of the Ottoman Empire. Mihrimah Sultan (1522-1578), the daughter of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, was a prominent figure who commissioned the construction of several mosques and other architectural landmarks in Istanbul.
As the Ottoman Empire expanded its influence across the Mediterranean, the surname Sultana also spread to other regions. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with this surname living in areas such as Greece, Bulgaria, and parts of the Balkans.
One notable individual with the surname Sultana was Emine Sultana (1865-1944), a Turkish artist and painter who was active during the late Ottoman period. Her works, which often depicted scenes from daily life in Istanbul, are now considered important examples of Turkish Orientalist art.
Another historical figure with this surname was Vittorio Sultana (1860-1932), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament in the early 20th century.
While the surname Sultana has its roots in the Middle East and the Ottoman Empire, it has since become more widely distributed across various regions and cultures. However, its historical significance and connection to the Ottoman dynasty remain an integral part of its origin and meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sultana
Among Census respondents with the surname Sultana, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sultana 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 Sultana surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.7% · 5,416
- White5.8% · 342
- Two or more races1.1% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 47
- Black or African American0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sultana
Sultana 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
#9,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,471
+1,902 bearers (+121.2%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Up 7,388 places
2020
#5,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,904
+2,433 bearers (+70.1%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Up 3,712 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,761 | 1,569 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,373 | 3,471 | 1.18 | +1,902 bearers (+121.2%) | Up 7,388 places |
| 2020 | #5,661 | 5,904 | 1.98 | +2,433 bearers (+70.1%) | Up 3,712 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 Sultana 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 | #9,373 | #5,661 | 39.6% |
| Count | 3,471 | 5,904 | 70.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.98 | 67.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sultana bearers went from 3,471 to 5,904 (+70.1% change). The surname moved up 3,712 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,373 to #5,661.
FAQ
Sultana surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sultana?
Name Census estimates that about 6,770 living Americans carry the surname Sultana. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,628 residents.
How common is Sultana?
Sultana ranks #5,661 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.98 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 5,904 people with the surname Sultana. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,770), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.98 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 Sultana.
Has Sultana become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sultana went from 3,471 recorded bearers to 5,904. That is an increase of 2,433 (+70.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,373 to #5,661.
What does the Census say about the background of Sultana?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sultana, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Sultana in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (5,416 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sultana appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.7%), White (5.8%), Two or More Races (1.1%). 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 Sultana (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 Sultana mean?
A surname denoting a person descended from a sultan or one who served in a sultan's court. 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 Sultana (1.98 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 Sultana?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.