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 whofought 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.