2010
#115,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Susarla
A South Indian surname likely derived from the village or town named Susarla.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 235 Americans carry the last name Susarla. That puts it at #95,461 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,458,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Susarla 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
235
1 in 1,458,529
Census rank
#95,461
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
205
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 205 bearers of the surname Susarla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 95461st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Susarla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Susarla
The surname SUSARLA is thought to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern regions of what is now the modern-day states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is believed to have roots in the Telugu language, which is native to this region.
The name SUSARLA is likely derived from the combination of two Telugu words - "Susu," which means "breath" or "life force," and "Arla," which can mean "acquired" or "obtained." Thus, the name may have initially referred to someone who was considered to have acquired or obtained a strong life force or vitality.
Some scholars have also suggested that the name could be linked to the Telugu word "Susari," which means "sacred" or "holy." This could indicate that the name's origins may have been associated with religious or spiritual connotations.
While there are no definitive historical records of the name's appearance in ancient manuscripts or texts, it is widely believed to have been in use among certain communities in the southern Indian region for several centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname SUSARLA was Susarla Dora, a prominent Telugu poet and scholar who lived in the 17th century. Dora was renowned for his contributions to the Telugu literary tradition and is considered one of the pioneers of the "Prabandha" style of Telugu poetry.
Another notable figure with the SUSARLA surname was Susarla Venkata Ramana, a renowned Telugu playwright and essayist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ramana's works, such as "Harika-Chandrika" and "Suvarna-Rekha," are considered masterpieces of Telugu literature.
In the field of music, Susarla Syamala was a prominent Carnatic vocalist and musician who gained recognition in the mid-20th century. She was known for her expertise in interpreting and performing the intricate compositions of the legendary composer, Tyagaraja.
Susarla Veerabhadra Rao, born in the early 20th century, was a distinguished historian and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian history and culture. His works, such as "Andhra Desa Charitra" and "Prachina Andhra Bharatamu," shed light on the rich heritage of the Andhra region.
In more recent times, Susarla Ramana Rao was a prominent Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of several states in India, including Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, in the latter half of the 20th century.
The surname SUSARLA continues to be prevalent among certain communities in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, with individuals carrying this name having made notable contributions across various fields, including literature, arts, academia, and public service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Susarla
Among Census respondents with the surname Susarla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Susarla 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 Susarla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.2% · 191
- White2.4% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 5
- Two or more races1.0% · 2
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Susarla
Susarla appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#95,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 205
+54 bearers (+35.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 20,178 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #115,639 | 151 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #95,461 | 205 | 0.07 | +54 bearers (+35.8%) | Up 20,178 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 Susarla 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 | #115,639 | #95,461 | 17.4% |
| Count | 151 | 205 | 35.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 37.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Susarla bearers went from 151 to 205 (+35.8% change). The surname moved up 20,178 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,639 to #95,461.
FAQ
Susarla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Susarla?
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the surname Susarla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,458,529 residents.
How common is Susarla?
Susarla ranks #95,461 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 205 people with the surname Susarla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (235), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Susarla.
Has Susarla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Susarla went from 151 recorded bearers to 205. That is an increase of 54 (+35.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #115,639 to #95,461.
What does the Census say about the background of Susarla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Susarla, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%). 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 Susarla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Susarla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.2%), White (2.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.4%). 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 Susarla (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 Susarla mean?
A South Indian surname likely derived from the village or town named Susarla. 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 Susarla (0.07 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 Susarla?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Susarla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.