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

Hettiarachchi, 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 Hettiarachchi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hettiarachchi in America

Hettiarachchi is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hettiarachchi surname appeared 133 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 Hettiarachchi.

The history of the last name Hettiarachchi

The surname "HETTIARACHCHI" originates from Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon. It dates back to the 16th century and is derived from the Sinhalese language, spoken by the majority ethnic group in the country.

The name "HETTIARACHCHI" is a compound word formed by combining two words: "Hetti" meaning "courtyard" or "mansion," and "Arachchi" which refers to a high-ranking feudal official or chieftain. Thus, the name likely originated from a person who held a prominent position or resided in a grand mansion or courtyard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Culavamsa," a historical chronicle of Sri Lanka written in the 13th century. The text mentions a chieftain named "Hettiarachchi" who played a significant role in the island's political affairs during that era.

Another notable historical figure bearing this surname was Muhandiram Rajakaruna Hettiarachchi, a prominent civil servant and landowner in the 18th century. He was instrumental in mediating disputes between the British colonial authorities and local rulers during the late stages of the Kandyan Kingdom.

In the 19th century, Mudaliyar Don Bastian Hettiarachchi was a respected philanthropist and community leader who funded the construction of several schools and temples in the island's central region.

Moving into the 20th century, Dr. Nissanka Hettiarachchi (1920-2001) was a renowned scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Sinhalese literature and language.

More recently, Wijith Hettiarachchi (born 1968) is a celebrated Sri Lankan cricketer who represented the national team in the 1990s and early 2000s, earning recognition as one of the country's finest all-rounders.

While the name "HETTIARACHCHI" is closely associated with Sri Lanka's history and culture, individuals bearing this surname can also be found in other parts of the world, particularly among the Sri Lankan diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hettiarachchi

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

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

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

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