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

Dandu, 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 Dandu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dandu in America

Dandu is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dandu surname appeared 186 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 Dandu.

The history of the last name Dandu

The surname DANDU has its origins in India, specifically in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. It can be traced back to the 15th century, when it was used as a title or honorific by the ruling Vijayanagara Empire. The name is derived from the Telugu word "dandu," which means "staff" or "baton," and was likely given to individuals who held positions of authority or served as royal guards or officials.

Early records of the name DANDU can be found in various inscriptions and manuscripts from the Vijayanagara period. One notable example is the Mackenzie Manuscripts, a collection of historical documents and records compiled by the British officer Colin Mackenzie in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These manuscripts contain references to individuals with the surname DANDU, indicating their presence in various administrative roles and positions within the empire.

The earliest known individual with the surname DANDU was Dandu Govinda Rao, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a high-ranking official in the Vijayanagara court. Another prominent figure was Dandu Narasimha Rao, a military commander and governor during the reign of the Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the DANDU surname gained further prominence with the rise of the Dandu Nayak dynasty, a powerful feudal family that ruled over parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Notable figures from this dynasty include Dandu Venkatapati Nayak (1630-1673), who was the founder of the dynasty and a skilled administrator, and Dandu Vijaya Raghava Nayak (1673-1686), who expanded the territory under their control.

Another significant individual with the DANDU surname was Dandu Monappa, a prominent scholar and poet in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad during the 18th century. He was renowned for his contributions to Telugu literature and his works are still studied and admired today.

In more recent times, the DANDU surname has been associated with various influential figures in fields such as politics, business, and academia. Some notable individuals include Dandu Narayana Raju (1925-2001), a prominent politician and former Member of Parliament in Andhra Pradesh, and Dandu Prabhakar Rao (1928-2007), a renowned Telugu writer and academic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dandu

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

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

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

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