2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Suryan
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "Surya" meaning sun or solar deity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Suryan. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Suryan 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Suryan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Suryan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Suryan
The surname Suryan has its origins in India, tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Surya', meaning 'the sun'. This name was initially prevalent among the Hindu communities in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Suryan can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century historical record compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname Suryan, indicating its use at that time.
During the medieval period, the Suryan surname was particularly common in the regions of present-day Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It was often associated with families engaged in professions related to astronomy, astrology, and the study of celestial bodies, reflecting the name's connection to the sun.
In the 17th century, the Suryan surname appeared in various administrative records and land ownership documents, suggesting its bearers held prominent positions in society. One notable figure was Pandit Vishwanath Suryan (1635-1708), a renowned scholar and astronomer who served as the court astrologer to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Another significant historical figure was Raja Ramchandra Suryan (1712-1789), a Maratha nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Maratha Empire under the Peshwa rule. His exploits are documented in several contemporary chronicles and historical texts.
In the 19th century, the Suryan surname gained further recognition with the birth of Swami Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883), a renowned Hindu religious leader and social reformer. He founded the Arya Samaj, a influential Hindu reform movement that aimed to revive the Vedic traditions and promote education.
During the British colonial era, several individuals bearing the Suryan surname held prominent positions in the Indian Civil Service and other administrative roles. One notable figure was Sir Ganga Prasad Suryan (1857-1932), a distinguished civil servant who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab and later as a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council.
Throughout its history, the Suryan surname has also been associated with various places and regions in India. For instance, the town of Suryanagar in Uttar Pradesh and the Suryanelli village in Kerala are believed to have derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Suryan surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Suryan
Among Census respondents with the surname Suryan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Suryan 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 Suryan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Suryan
Suryan 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,404 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 17,404 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,020 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 Suryan 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 | #146,201 | #147,221 | -0.7% |
| Count | 113 | 113 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Suryan bearers went from 113 to 113 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,020 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #147,221.
FAQ
Suryan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Suryan?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Suryan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Suryan?
Suryan ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Suryan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Suryan.
Has Suryan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Suryan went from 113 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Suryan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Suryan, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Suryan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Suryan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.4%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Suryan (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 Suryan mean?
An Indian surname derived from the Sanskrit word "Surya" meaning sun or solar deity. 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 Suryan (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 share the surname Suryan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.