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

Ganeshan, 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 Ganeshan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ganeshan in America

Ganeshan is the 122314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ganeshan surname appeared 141 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 Ganeshan.

The history of the last name Ganeshan

The surname Ganeshan has its origins in South India, particularly in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Tamil name derived from the Hindu deity Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles and the god of beginnings. The name Ganeshan can be traced back to the 7th or 8th century CE, during the Pallava dynasty.

The earliest known reference to the name Ganeshan can be found in ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions from the Chola and Pandya kingdoms. These inscriptions often mention individuals with the name Ganeshan holding important positions in the royal courts or as scholars and poets.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ganeshan appears in the 9th century CE, in the form of the renowned Tamil poet Ganesha Dikshitar (788-859 CE). He was a prominent figure in the Chola court and is celebrated for his contributions to Tamil literature, including the epic work "Shiva Purāna."

During the medieval period, the name Ganeshan was also associated with several prominent scholars and saints. One notable figure was Ganesha Navaratnam (1501-1579 CE), a revered Tamil Saivite philosopher and theologian from the town of Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu.

In the 16th century, the name Ganeshan gained prominence with the birth of Ganesha Iyer (1548-1621 CE), a renowned astronomer and mathematician from the town of Kumbakonam. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and authored several texts on celestial calculations.

Another prominent individual with the surname Ganeshan was Ganesha Pillai (1712-1785 CE), a Tamil scholar and poet from the town of Mannargudi. He was renowned for his literary works and his expertise in various fields, including astrology and philosophy.

Throughout history, the name Ganeshan has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, poets, artists, and politicians. While the name has its roots in Tamil Nadu, it has also spread to other parts of India and the world due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ganeshan

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!