2000
#18,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,327
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Ullah
Of Arabic origin, meaning "servant of Allah" or "servant of God."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,165 Americans carry the last name Ullah. That puts it at #11,003 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,295 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ullah 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 Ullah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,295
Census rank
#11,003
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,760 bearers of the surname Ullah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11003rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ullah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ullah
The surname "ULLAH" originated in the Indian subcontinent, with its roots traced back to the Arabic language. It is believed to have emerged around the 7th century CE, during the early Islamic period in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century administrative document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This document mentions several individuals with the surname "ULLAH," suggesting its widespread usage at that time.
The name "ULLAH" is derived from the Arabic word "Allah," which means "God" or "the Supreme Being" in Islam. It was commonly used as an honorific suffix attached to personal names, indicating a person's devotion or close association with the Islamic faith.
During the medieval period, the name "ULLAH" appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly those related to Islamic scholars, poets, and rulers. One notable example is Amir Khusrau Dehlavi (1253-1325), a renowned poet and scholar who was also known as Amir Khusrau Ullah.
In the 14th century, a famous Sufi saint and scholar, Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325), was also referred to as Nizamuddin Ullah. His teachings and spiritual guidance had a profound impact on the spread of Sufism in the region.
Another prominent figure associated with the name "ULLAH" was Mir Taqi Mir (1723-1810), a celebrated Urdu poet and literary giant of the Mughal era. His full name was Mir Muhammad Taqi Ullah Khan, and he is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the Urdu ghazal.
Over time, the surname "ULLAH" became widespread across various regions of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in areas with a significant Muslim population. It was often associated with families or communities that played influential roles in the spread of Islamic culture, education, and literature.
Today, the surname "ULLAH" remains prevalent in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan, where it continues to hold cultural and religious significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ullah
Among Census respondents with the surname Ullah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ullah 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 Ullah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.2% · 2,407
- Two or more races3.7% · 103
- White3.4% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 84
- Black or African American2.4% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ullah
Ullah 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
#14,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,974
+647 bearers (+48.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 4,018 places
2020
#11,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,760
+786 bearers (+39.8%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 3,973 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,994 | 1,327 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,976 | 1,974 | 0.67 | +647 bearers (+48.8%) | Up 4,018 places |
| 2020 | #11,003 | 2,760 | 0.92 | +786 bearers (+39.8%) | Up 3,973 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 Ullah 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 | #14,976 | #11,003 | 26.5% |
| Count | 1,974 | 2,760 | 39.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.92 | 37.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ullah bearers went from 1,974 to 2,760 (+39.8% change). The surname moved up 3,973 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,976 to #11,003.
FAQ
Ullah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ullah?
Name Census estimates that about 3,165 living Americans carry the surname Ullah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,295 residents.
How common is Ullah?
Ullah ranks #11,003 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,760 people with the surname Ullah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,165), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Ullah.
Has Ullah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ullah went from 1,974 recorded bearers to 2,760. That is an increase of 786 (+39.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,976 to #11,003.
What does the Census say about the background of Ullah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ullah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and White (3.4%). 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 Ullah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,407 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ullah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.2%), Two or More Races (3.7%), White (3.4%). 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 Ullah (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 Ullah mean?
Of Arabic origin, meaning "servant of Allah" or "servant of God." 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 Ullah (0.92 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 surname Ullah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.