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

Chandra, 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 Chandra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Chandra in America

Chandra is the 8977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Chandra surname appeared 3,645 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Chandra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Chandra to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Chandra

The surname Chandra is believed to have originated in India, where it is a common name among the Hindu community. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Chandra," which means "moon" or "bright." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals with a bright or radiant appearance, or perhaps to those born under a full moon.

Chandra is an ancient name that can be traced back to the Vedic period, around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. During this time, the name appeared in various Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Rigveda and the Mahabharata. It was also associated with the Hindu god of the moon, Chandra Deva, who was revered in ancient Indian mythology.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chandra can be found in the Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy, written around the 4th century BCE by Kautilya, also known as Chanakya. The text mentions several individuals with the name Chandra, suggesting that it was a common name during that period.

In the medieval era, the name Chandra gained prominence among the ruling dynasties of India. Notable figures bearing this surname include Chandragupta Maurya (340 BCE – 298 BCE), the founder of the Maurya Empire, and Chandra Gupta II (380 CE – 415 CE), an emperor of the Gupta Empire, considered one of the Golden Ages of India.

Another famous individual with the surname Chandra was Somanatha Chandra, a Bengali poet and philosopher who lived in the 16th century. His work, "Shri Krishna Vijaya," is considered a masterpiece of Bengali literature and a significant contribution to the Vaishnava tradition.

In more recent history, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910 – 1995), an Indian-American astrophysicist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his groundbreaking work on the theoretical structure and evolution of stars. His contributions to the field of astrophysics are widely recognized and celebrated.

Chandra Shekhar Azad (1906 – 1931) was an Indian revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. He was a charismatic leader and a prominent figure in the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), known for his daring actions and unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom.

While the surname Chandra has its roots in India, it has also found its way into other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. The name has been adopted by individuals of various ethnicities and nationalities, reflecting the rich diversity and global reach of Indian culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Chandra

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

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 Chandra 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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Chandra has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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

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

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