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

Ganapathi, 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 Ganapathi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ganapathi in America

Ganapathi is the 143149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ganapathi surname appeared 116 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 Ganapathi.

The history of the last name Ganapathi

The surname "GANAPATHI" originated in India, specifically in the state of Tamil Nadu. It can be traced back to the 8th century AD, during the reign of the Pallava dynasty. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Gana" meaning group or multitude, and "Pathi" meaning lord or master. It is believed to be associated with the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles and the god of wisdom and prosperity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "GANAPATHI" can be found in the Vaikuntha Perumal Temple inscriptions in Kanchipuram, dated to the 8th century AD. These inscriptions mention the names of several individuals with the surname "GANAPATHI" who were involved in the temple's administration and religious activities.

During the Chola Empire, which ruled over parts of Southern India from the 9th to the 13th century, the surname "GANAPATHI" was prominent among the Brahmin community. Several historical records from this period mention individuals with this surname holding influential positions in the royal court and serving as ministers, advisors, and scholars.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname "GANAPATHI" was Adi Shankara, the renowned Hindu philosopher and spiritual leader who lived between 788 and 820 AD. He is credited with reviving and consolidating the Advaita Vedanta philosophy, which emphasized the non-duality of the individual soul (Atman) and the universal soul (Brahman).

Another notable figure with the surname "GANAPATHI" was Kuppuswami Sastri Ganapathi (1873-1928), a renowned Indian scholar and philosopher. He was a prolific writer and contributed significantly to the understanding of Indian philosophy, particularly the Advaita Vedanta tradition.

In the field of literature, K. V. Ganapathi (1889-1963) was a prominent Tamil writer and poet. He was known for his contributions to the Tamil literary renaissance in the early 20th century and his works explored themes of social reform and spiritual enlightenment.

The mathematician and astronomer Bhaskaracharya, who lived in the 12th century, is also believed to have had the surname "GANAPATHI". He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy, including the development of the concept of differential calculus.

Another notable bearer of the surname "GANAPATHI" was Sir C. V. Ganapathi Iyer (1869-1943), an Indian civil servant and administrator who served as the Dewan (Prime Minister) of several princely states in British India. He was known for his reforms and efforts to modernize the administration of these states.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ganapathi

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

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

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

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