2000
#21,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Varma
A Hindu surname derived from the Sanskrit word for caste or sub-caste.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,679 Americans carry the last name Varma. That puts it at #12,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Varma 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 Varma with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 127,941
Census rank
#12,618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,336 bearers of the surname Varma in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Varma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Varma
The surname Varma has its origins in India, where it can be traced back several centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Varman," which means "armor" or "shield." The name was likely first adopted by members of the Kshatriya caste, which comprised rulers, warriors, and landowners.
In ancient Indian texts and inscriptions, the name Varma is found associated with various ruling dynasties and prominent individuals. One of the earliest recorded instances is from the 4th century CE, when a king named Chandragupta Varma ruled over parts of central India.
During the medieval period, the Varma surname gained particular prominence in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Several powerful feudal families, including the Travancore Royal Family and the Zamorins of Calicut, bore this illustrious surname.
One notable figure from this era was Marthanda Varma (1706-1758), the founder of the Kingdom of Travancore, who is credited with unifying the region and establishing a strong administrative system. Another prominent Varma was Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906), a celebrated Indian painter renowned for his portrayal of scenes from Indian mythology and Renaissance-style depictions of women.
In the northern regions of India, the Varma surname was also associated with scholarly and literary pursuits. Bhavabhuti Varma (8th century CE) was a renowned Sanskrit poet and dramatist, known for his works like "Malati-Madhava" and "Uttara-Rama-Charita."
Beyond India, the Varma surname has also found its way into other parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who migrated or settled abroad. For instance, Sir C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Varma (1879-1966) was a prominent Indian lawyer and jurist who served as a judge in the British Indian judicial system.
While the Varma surname has its roots in India, it has become more widely dispersed over time, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields across different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Varma
Among Census respondents with the surname Varma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Varma 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 Varma surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.9% · 2,053
- White5.0% · 116
- Two or more races4.4% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Varma
Varma 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
#16,586
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,729
+567 bearers (+48.8%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 4,483 places
2020
#12,618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,336
+607 bearers (+35.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 3,968 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,069 | 1,162 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,586 | 1,729 | 0.59 | +567 bearers (+48.8%) | Up 4,483 places |
| 2020 | #12,618 | 2,336 | 0.78 | +607 bearers (+35.1%) | Up 3,968 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 Varma 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 | #16,586 | #12,618 | 23.9% |
| Count | 1,729 | 2,336 | 35.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.59 | 0.78 | 32.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Varma bearers went from 1,729 to 2,336 (+35.1% change). The surname moved up 3,968 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,586 to #12,618.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Varma
FAQ
Varma surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Varma?
Name Census estimates that about 2,679 living Americans carry the surname Varma. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,941 residents.
How common is Varma?
Varma ranks #12,618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,336 people with the surname Varma. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,679), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Varma.
Has Varma become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Varma went from 1,729 recorded bearers to 2,336. That is an increase of 607 (+35.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,586 to #12,618.
What does the Census say about the background of Varma?
Among Census respondents with the surname Varma, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Varma in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (2,053 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Varma appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.9%), White (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Varma (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 Varma mean?
A Hindu surname derived from the Sanskrit word for caste or sub-caste. 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 Varma (0.78 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 Varma?
You can see how many people have the last name Varma on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.