Find out how popular the last name Athreya is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Athreya.

Athreya, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Athreya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Athreya in America

Athreya is the 137327th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Athreya surname appeared 122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Athreya.

The history of the last name Athreya

The surname Athreya has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern state of Karnataka. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Atreyah," which refers to one of the ancient Hindu sages and rishis (seers) known as Atri.

This surname is closely associated with the Brahmin community, particularly the Smarta Brahmins who trace their lineage to the revered sage Atri. The name first appeared in historical records dating back to the medieval period, around the 12th-13th centuries CE.

In the early Sanskrit texts, such as the Rig Veda and the Upanishads, there are references to the sage Atri and his descendants, known as the Atreyas. These texts mention the Atreyas as a prominent lineage of sages and scholars deeply rooted in the Vedic tradition.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Athreya was Sri Vidyaranya Swami (1268-1386 CE), a renowned Hindu philosopher, scholar, and spiritual leader. He played a significant role in the revival of Advaita Vedanta philosophy and the establishment of the Sringeri Sharada Peetham, one of the prominent monasteries of the Smarta tradition.

Another notable figure in history was Madhava Athreya (1350-1425 CE), a celebrated mathematician and astronomer from the Kerala region of South India. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, including the development of infinite series approximations and the concept of differential calculus.

In the 16th century, Govinda Athreya (1500-1580 CE) was a prominent Sanskrit scholar and commentator on various Hindu scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads.

During the 18th century, Chandrasekhara Athreya (1720-1790 CE) was a renowned poet and writer who composed several works in Sanskrit and Kannada, including the epic poem "Raghavapandaviya."

In more recent times, Manjunath Athreya (1920-2003 CE) was a distinguished mathematician and statistician from Karnataka. He made significant contributions to the field of probability theory and stochastic processes, and his work has influenced generations of mathematicians.

Throughout history, the surname Athreya has been closely associated with scholarly pursuits, particularly in the fields of philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and literature. It has maintained a strong connection to its roots in the Brahmin community and the Vedic tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Athreya

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Athreya.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Athreya was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Athreya was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Athreya, please contact us.

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