Rao (Indian surname)

Rao is a title and a surname native to India. It is used mostly in states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Telangana.

As a surname
Notable people with this surname or title include the following:

Pre-independence

 * Rao Tula Ram (c. 1825 – 1863) - Rewari King who fought Great Battle of 1857.
 * T. Madhava Rao (1829–1891) - Diwan of Travancore from 1857 to 1872.
 * R. Raghunatha Rao (c. February 1831 – May 3, 1912) - Diwan of Indore from 1875 to 1888
 * R. Venkata Rao - Diwan of Travancore from 1821 to 1829.
 * T. Subba Rao - Diwan of Travancore from 1830 to 1837.
 * V. P. Madhava Rao - 17th Diwan of the Mysore kingdom
 * T. Ananda Rao - 18th Diwan of the Mysore kingdom
 * N. Madhava Rao - 23rd Diwan of the Mysore Kingdom
 * K. Krishnaswamy Rao - Diwan of Travancore from 1898 to 1904
 * T. Rama Rao (administrator) - Diwan of Travancore from 1887 to 1892
 * T. Ramachandra Rao (1825-1879) - Indian civil servant and first native Indian to serve as Deputy Commissioner of Police of Madras.
 * R. Ramachandra Rao (1871 – 1936) - Indian civil servant and mathematician.
 * R. Balaji Rao (1842–1896) - an Indian politician, independence activist.
 * Gangadharrao Deshpande (1871-1960) (also known as Lion of Karnataka) - Indian activist and leader of Indian independence movement against British rule from Belgaum.
 * C. Hayavadana Rao (1865 – 1946) - an Indian historian, museologist, anthropologist, economist and polyglot.
 * T. Gopala Rao (1832 – 1886) - educationist, served as the Principal of Government Arts College, Kumbakonam after William Archer Porter and first inspector of schools under British government.

Post-independence

 * Raja Rao writer of English-language novels and short stories, whose works are deeply rooted in metaphysics
 * Ayyagari Sambasiva Rao (1914–2003), an Indian scientist, founder of the Electronics Corporation of India Limited
 * Adinarayana Rao, Telugu film director and founder of Anjali pictures.
 * Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Telugu film actor and founder of Annapurna studios. He received Padma Bhushan for his contribution to film industry.
 * Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao (1920–2023), Indian-born American mathematician and statistician
 * Chennamaneni Hanumantha Rao, Indian economist and writer
 * C. S. Rao (writer), Indian writer, actor, director and producer
 * C. S. Rao (1924–2004), an Indian actor, writer and director
 * Dabeeru C. Rao, Indian-American statistical geneticist
 * Dasari Narayana Rao, Telugu film director and actor.
 * Dileep Rao (1973–), American actor
 * Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Indian politician, ex-Lok Sabha member
 * Gundu Hanumantha Rao, Indian actor
 * Gnaneswara Rao, Indian cricketer
 * Joginder Singh Rao, Indian cricketer
 * Karri Narayana Rao, Indian lawyer, ex-member of Lok Sabha and Indian politician
 * Kemburi Ramamohan Rao, Indian Politician, ex-member of Lok Sabha
 * Kimidi Kalavenkata Rao, Indian Politician, ex-minister, ex-member of Rajya Sabha
 * K. Keshava Rao,member of Rajya Sabha
 * K. R. Rao, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas and co-inventor of the discrete cosine transform
 * K. S. Rama Rao, Telugu cinema producer
 * Kodela Siva Prasad Rao, speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly
 * Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao, Chief minister of Telangana
 * Michael Rao (1967–), president of Virginia Commonwealth University since 2009
 * Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Indian Politician, Ex-member of Lok Sabha and minister in Andhra Pradesh Cabinet
 * N. T. Rama Rao (1923 – 1996), film personality and former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh
 * Narla Tata Rao, Engineer and recipient of Padma Shri award
 * Neomi Rao, American attorney and government official
 * Nirmala Rao, British academic, present VC of Asian University for Women.
 * Pappala Chalapathi Rao, Indian Politician
 * P. V. Narasimha Rao - 9th Prime Minister Of India
 * Rajkummar Rao, Indian film actor.
 * Amrita Rao, Indian film actress
 * Panje Mangesh Rao (1874 – 1937) Indian writer and poet
 * Aditi Rao Hydari, Indian film actress
 * Preetika Rao, Indian television actress
 * Ramoji Rao, Telugu businessman, owner of Ramoji group
 * Samarla Venkata Ranga Rao (1918 – 1974), Telugu film actor and recipient of Rashtrapati Award and International Award.
 * Thummala Nageswara Rao, Telangana minister
 * Udupi Ramachandra Rao - Indian space scientist and director of ISRO
 * V. Hanumantha Rao, Ex-member of Rajya Sabha, Indian politician
 * Vandana Rao, Arjuna Awardee who represented India in 1984 and 1988 Olympics in 4 × 400 m women relay race
 * Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao (known as Ranga; 1947 – 1988) was an Indian National Congress politician
 * Vanama Venkateshwara Rao, Ex-minister in Andhra Pradesh
 * Swami Ramdas (born Vittal Rao), a saint from Kanhangad, Kerala
 * Gitanjali Rao (scientist) – high achiever in science at STEM School Highlands Ranch, Colorado, US
 * Y. S. Rao, professor at IIT Bombay