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

Balasundaram, 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 Balasundaram surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Balasundaram in America

Balasundaram is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Balasundaram surname appeared 124 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 Balasundaram.

The history of the last name Balasundaram

The surname Balasundaram originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Tamil-speaking regions of southern India. It can be traced back to at least the 16th century AD. The name is derived from the Tamil words "bala," meaning "strength" or "power," and "sundaram," meaning "beautiful" or "handsome."

Balasundaram was a relatively uncommon surname in ancient times, primarily found among the Tamil Brahmin and Kshatriya communities. Some of the earliest recorded instances of this name appear in inscriptions and palm leaf manuscripts from the Chola and Pandyan dynasties of Tamil Nadu.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Balasundaram Mudaliar, a 17th-century Tamil scholar and poet from the Thanjavur region. He authored several works in Tamil literature, including commentaries on classical Tamil texts.

Another prominent individual was Balasundaram Pillai, a 19th-century Tamil scholar and educator from the Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu). He was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions and promoting Tamil language and literature.

In the 20th century, Balasundaram Srinivasan (1904-1981) was a renowned Indian civil servant and diplomat who served as the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1961.

Balasundaram Sankaralinga Pillai (1878-1944) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Tamil Nadu. He served as a member of the Madras Legislative Council and was actively involved in the Indian independence movement.

Balasundaram Raghunathan (1935-2012) was a celebrated Indian classical musician and vocalist in the Carnatic tradition. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, in 2008.

While the surname Balasundaram is more commonly found in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states, it has also spread to other parts of India and the global Tamil diaspora due to migration and geographical mobility over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Balasundaram

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

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 Balasundaram 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 Balasundaram was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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