2000
#24,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 947
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.35
Rare Last name
Walia
A placename surname referring to someone from Wallia, an old name for Wales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,113 Americans carry the last name Walia. That puts it at #15,331 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Walia 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 Walia with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 162,212
Census rank
#15,331
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,843 bearers of the surname Walia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15331st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Walia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Walia
The surname WALIA has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Punjab. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "vali," which means "strength" or "valor."
In ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata, there are references to individuals who possessed great strength and bravery, often described as "valis." It is possible that the name WALIA was initially given to individuals who exhibited such qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WALIA can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century Persian language record compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. The text mentions a warrior named Malik Walia, who served as a military commander under the emperor.
During the Mughal era, the WALIA surname was particularly prevalent in the region of Punjab, which was a hub of military activity and recruitment. Many individuals bearing this name served in the armies of the Mughal Empire, contributing to its expansion and consolidation.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Jassa Singh Walia (1718-1805) emerged as a powerful leader of the Sikh Confederacy. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the Sikh Empire and is renowned for his military prowess and leadership skills.
Another prominent individual with the WALIA surname was Kunwar Vir Singh Walia (1856-1938), a celebrated Punjabi poet and writer. He is regarded as a pioneer of modern Punjabi literature and made significant contributions to the cultural and literary landscape of the region.
Sardar Ujjal Singh Walia (1901-1982) was a distinguished Indian politician who served as the Governor of Punjab from 1966 to 1972. He was also a member of the Indian National Congress and played an active role in the country's independence movement.
It is worth noting that the WALIA surname is not limited to a specific region or community within India. Over time, it has spread to various parts of the country and even abroad, with individuals of diverse backgrounds adopting or bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Walia
Among Census respondents with the surname Walia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Walia 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 Walia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.7% · 1,617
- White5.4% · 99
- Two or more races3.9% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 14
- Black or African American0.7% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Walia
Walia 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
#40,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 532
-415 bearers (-43.8%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 16,275 places
2020
#15,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,843
+1,311 bearers (+246.4%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 25,645 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,701 | 947 | 0.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,976 | 532 | 0.18 | -415 bearers (-43.8%) | Down 16,275 places |
| 2020 | #15,331 | 1,843 | 0.62 | +1,311 bearers (+246.4%) | Up 25,645 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 Walia 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 | #40,976 | #15,331 | 62.6% |
| Count | 532 | 1,843 | 246.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.62 | 242.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Walia bearers went from 532 to 1,843 (+246.4% change). The surname moved up 25,645 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,976 to #15,331.
FAQ
Walia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Walia?
Name Census estimates that about 2,113 living Americans carry the surname Walia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,212 residents.
How common is Walia?
Walia ranks #15,331 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,843 people with the surname Walia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Walia.
Has Walia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Walia went from 532 recorded bearers to 1,843. That is an increase of 1,311 (+246.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,976 to #15,331.
What does the Census say about the background of Walia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Walia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.7%. The next largest groups are White (5.4%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Walia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (1,617 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Walia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.7%), White (5.4%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Walia (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 Walia mean?
A placename surname referring to someone from Wallia, an old name for Wales. 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 Walia (0.62 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 Walia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.