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

Jayawardena, 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 Jayawardena surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jayawardena in America

Jayawardena is the 133863rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jayawardena surname appeared 126 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 Jayawardena.

The history of the last name Jayawardena

The surname JAYAWARDENA originates from Sri Lanka, an island nation in South Asia. It is a Sinhalese name that dates back several centuries. The name is believed to be derived from the Sinhalese words "jaya" meaning victory or triumph, and "wardena" meaning to increase or grow. Thus, the name JAYAWARDENA can be interpreted as "one who increases victory or triumph."

The earliest recorded instances of the name JAYAWARDENA can be found in ancient Sinhalese chronicles and inscriptions from the medieval period in Sri Lanka. These include references to individuals with this surname who held prominent positions in the royal courts and Buddhist monasteries of the time.

One notable historical figure bearing the name JAYAWARDENA was Don Philip JAYAWARDENA, a prominent Sri Lankan aristocrat and landowner who lived in the 18th century. He was a influential figure in the Kingdom of Kandy, the last independent monarchy in Sri Lanka before British colonization.

Another prominent individual with the surname JAYAWARDENA was Sir Ponnambalam JAYAWARDENA, a respected lawyer and statesman who played a key role in the Sri Lankan independence movement in the early 20th century. He was born in 1887 and served as a member of the State Council of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1924 to 1936.

In more recent history, J.R. JAYAWARDENA (1906-1996) was a renowned Sri Lankan historian and academic. He authored several influential works on the history and culture of Sri Lanka, including the seminal book "The Revolt in the Temple: The Disavowed Revisionists of Sri Lanka."

Sir Cyril JAYAWARDENA (1890-1957) was a distinguished Sri Lankan civil servant and diplomat. He served as the first Ceylonese Governor of the Central Bank of Ceylon and was also appointed as the first High Commissioner for Ceylon in London, representing Sri Lanka's interests in the United Kingdom.

Lastly, Lakshman JAYAWARDENA (1942-2020) was a prominent Sri Lankan businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Laksons Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Sri Lanka, and was known for his contributions to education and healthcare initiatives in the country.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname JAYAWARDENA throughout history, highlighting its deep roots and significance in Sri Lankan culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jayawardena

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

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

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

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