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

Ganapathy, 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 Ganapathy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ganapathy in America

Ganapathy is the 46314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ganapathy surname appeared 460 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 Ganapathy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ganapathy 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 Ganapathy

The surname Ganapathy has its origins in India, tracing back several centuries. It is a combination of the words "Gana" meaning "group" or "multitude," and "Pathi" meaning "lord" or "master." The name is derived from the Hindu deity Ganesha, also known as Ganapathi, who is revered as the remover of obstacles and the lord of beginnings.

The name Ganapathy is predominantly found in the southern states of India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. It is believed to have emerged as a surname during the medieval period, when many families adopted names based on their devotion to specific deities or occupations.

Historical records indicating the presence of the surname Ganapathy can be found in ancient inscriptions and temple records from the 10th to 12th centuries CE. One notable example is the mention of a "Ganapathy Sastrigal" in the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple inscriptions from the 11th century, suggesting the name's association with scholarly and religious pursuits.

The earliest recorded instances of individuals bearing the surname Ganapathy can be traced back to the 14th century. One prominent figure from this era was Ganapathy Sachchidananda Sastri (1310-1380), a renowned scholar and poet who authored several works on Hindu philosophy and spirituality.

Throughout history, the Ganapathy surname has been associated with various notable figures. For example, Ganapathy Subramania Iyer (1855-1928) was a prominent Indian lawyer and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. Ganapathy Dikshitar (1828-1891) was a celebrated Carnatic music composer and vocalist who contributed extensively to the Tyagaraja kirtana tradition.

Other notable individuals with the Ganapathy surname include Ganapathy Raman (1878-1940), a pioneering Indian scientist and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of acoustics, and Ganapathy Desikachar (1938-2016), a renowned yoga teacher and scholar who played a crucial role in popularizing the teachings of T. Krishnamacharya.

While the surname Ganapathy has its roots in India, it has also been adopted by individuals of Indian descent in various parts of the world, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries with significant Indian diaspora populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ganapathy

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

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

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

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