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

Sunga, 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 Sunga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sunga in America

Sunga is the 20285th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sunga surname appeared 1,311 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 Sunga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sunga 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 Sunga

The surname Sunga is believed to have originated in India, specifically from the ancient Sunga Empire that ruled over a large part of the Indian subcontinent from around 185 BCE to 73 BCE. The Sunga dynasty was founded by Pushyamitra Sunga after the fall of the Maurya Empire.

Records from this period indicate that the name Sunga was closely associated with the ruling class and nobility during the Sunga Empire's reign. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "sunga," which means "protector" or "guardian."

In ancient Sanskrit texts and inscriptions, the name Sunga is often mentioned in connection with rulers, military leaders, and other prominent figures of the time. The Sunga Empire left a significant mark on Indian history, and the surname Sunga carries the legacy of this historical period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sunga can be found in the Puranas, a collection of Hindu sacred texts that contain narratives of the histories of the royal dynasties. The Puranas mention several rulers and prominent individuals with the surname Sunga, such as Pushyamitra Sunga, the founder of the dynasty, and Agnimitra Sunga, one of his successors.

Over the centuries, the surname Sunga has been carried by various individuals of note, including scholars, writers, and artists. For example, the 17th-century Indian poet Sunga Rama Kavi, known for his works in Telugu literature, bore this surname.

Another notable individual with the surname Sunga was Sunga Srinivasa Rao, a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who lived from 1875 to 1912. He played an active role in the Indian independence movement and advocated for social reforms, particularly in the field of education.

In more recent times, the surname Sunga has been associated with notable figures like Sunga Rama Raju, an Indian politician and member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, and Sunga Narsing Rao, a renowned Indian writer and journalist who made significant contributions to Telugu literature in the 20th century.

While the surname Sunga is not as common today as it once was, it remains an integral part of Indian cultural heritage, carrying the legacy of the ancient Sunga Empire and the rich history of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sunga

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

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

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

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