2010
#93,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Puppala
An Indian surname indicating members of the Telaga community or those from the village of Puppala.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 436 Americans carry the last name Puppala. That puts it at #57,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 786,134 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puppala 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
436
1 in 786,134
Census rank
#57,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
380
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 380 bearers of the surname Puppala in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 57805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puppala, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puppala
The surname Puppala is of Indian origin, specifically from the Telugu-speaking regions of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It traces its roots back to the 16th century and is believed to be derived from the Telugu word "Puppala," which means "a small village" or "hamlet."
In the early days, surnames were often derived from the place of origin or residence of a family. The Puppala surname likely originated from a small village or hamlet where the family resided or had its ancestral roots. This practice of taking on place names as surnames was common among various linguistic and cultural groups in India.
While there are no known records of the Puppala surname appearing in ancient manuscripts or historical documents, it is possible that it was mentioned in local village records or inscriptions from the 16th century onwards. However, such records are often difficult to access or may not have survived the test of time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Puppala surname can be traced back to the 18th century, when a prominent figure named Puppala Venkata Krishnayya (1700-1765) served as a minister in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. He was known for his administrative skills and played a significant role in the governance of the Nizam's territories.
Another notable individual with the Puppala surname was Puppala Subrahmanyam (1856-1920), a renowned Telugu scholar and writer. He made significant contributions to Telugu literature and is best known for his translation of the epic Mahabharata into Telugu prose.
In the field of music, Puppala Balaswamy (1925-2010) was a highly respected Carnatic vocalist and recipient of the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award from the Madras Music Academy.
Puppala Srinivas (1948-2018) was a prominent Indian politician who served as a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) representing the Kakinada constituency in Andhra Pradesh.
More recently, Puppala Raghu (born 1965) is a well-known Telugu film director and screenwriter, known for his works in the Telugu cinema industry.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Puppala surname who have made notable contributions in various fields throughout history. The surname continues to be prevalent among Telugu-speaking communities in India, carrying the legacy of its ancestral roots and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puppala
Among Census respondents with the surname Puppala, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Puppala 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 Puppala surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.6% · 367
- White1.6% · 6
- Two or more races1.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puppala
Puppala 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
#57,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 380
+183 bearers (+92.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 35,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #93,125 | 197 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #57,805 | 380 | 0.13 | +183 bearers (+92.9%) | Up 35,320 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 Puppala 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 | #93,125 | #57,805 | 37.9% |
| Count | 197 | 380 | 92.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.13 | 81.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puppala bearers went from 197 to 380 (+92.9% change). The surname moved up 35,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #93,125 to #57,805.
FAQ
Puppala surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puppala?
Name Census estimates that about 436 living Americans carry the surname Puppala. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 786,134 residents.
How common is Puppala?
Puppala ranks #57,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.13 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 380 people with the surname Puppala. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.13 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 Puppala.
Has Puppala become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puppala went from 197 recorded bearers to 380. That is an increase of 183 (+92.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #93,125 to #57,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Puppala?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puppala, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (1.6%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Puppala in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (367 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puppala appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (96.6%), White (1.6%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Puppala (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 Puppala mean?
An Indian surname indicating members of the Telaga community or those from the village of Puppala. 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 Puppala (0.13 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 are called Puppala?
See how many people have the last name Puppala on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.