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

Govindaraju, 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 Govindaraju surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Govindaraju in America

Govindaraju is the 112568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Govindaraju surname appeared 156 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 Govindaraju.

The history of the last name Govindaraju

The surname Govindaraju is of Indian origin, originating from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It dates back several centuries to the medieval period.

The name Govindaraju is a combination of two Sanskrit words - "Govinda" meaning a cowherd or Lord Krishna, and "Raju" meaning king or lord. Thus, the name literally translates to "Lord of Lords" or "King of Cowherds".

In ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, there are references to the name Govinda as an epithet for Lord Krishna. The earliest known recorded instance of the surname Govindaraju can be found in a copper plate inscription from the 12th century CE, discovered in the town of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu.

During the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 14th-16th centuries, the surname Govindaraju was prominently associated with the Nayak rulers and feudal lords who governed various provinces. One such notable figure was Govinda Nayaka, the ruler of Madurai from 1623-1659 CE.

Another historically significant individual with the surname Govindaraju was Govindaraju Naidu, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 18th century. He authored several works in Telugu literature and is celebrated for his contributions to the field of poetry.

In the 19th century, Govindaraju Mudaliar was a prominent Indian businessman and philanthropist from Chennai, who established several educational institutions and charitable organizations.

Other notable individuals with the surname Govindaraju include T. Govindaraju, a renowned Indian classical musician and Carnatic vocalist who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2008, and M.S. Govindaraju, an acclaimed Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Tamil cinema.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Govindaraju

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

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

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

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