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

Kallam, 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 Kallam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kallam in America

Kallam is the 41501st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kallam surname appeared 524 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 Kallam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kallam 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 Kallam

The surname Kallam is believed to have originated in India, specifically in the southern regions of the country. Its roots can be traced back to the Tamil language, where "Kallam" is derived from the word "Kalam," meaning "pen" or "writing instrument." This suggests that the name may have been associated with scribes, scholars, or individuals involved in literary pursuits during ancient times.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kallam can be found in ancient Tamil literature, particularly in the Sangam period (300 BCE to 300 CE). This era witnessed a flourishing of Tamil culture, literature, and poetry, and it is possible that the Kallam surname was associated with individuals who excelled in these fields.

In the 7th century CE, the Pallava dynasty, which ruled parts of southern India, had a significant influence on the spread and preservation of Tamil literature and culture. During this period, the name Kallam may have gained prominence among the learned class of scholars and poets who were patronized by the Pallava kings.

The name Kallam has also been linked to the town of Kallakurichi in the present-day Tamil Nadu state of India. It is believed that some families may have adopted the surname from this place name, indicating their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kallam was Avvaiyar, a renowned Tamil poet and ethical philosopher who lived during the 9th century CE. Her influential works, such as the Aathichoodi and Konraivendan, have been widely studied and revered in Tamil literary circles.

Another notable figure with the Kallam surname was Kanakka Munivar, a Tamil scholar and poet who lived in the 13th century CE. He was known for his contributions to Tamil prosody and grammar, particularly his work titled "Kallinjarapranavam."

In the 16th century, the Kallam surname was also associated with the Nayak dynasty, a lineage of rulers who governed parts of southern India. One prominent member was Govinda Dikshita Kallam, a scholar and advisor to the Nayak kings, who played a significant role in the promotion of Sanskrit and Tamil literature.

During the 18th century, the Kallam name gained further recognition with the works of Vengala Munivar Kallam, a renowned Tamil poet and grammarian. His contributions to Tamil literature and linguistics were widely celebrated, and some of his works, such as the "Vensadaivu," are still studied today.

In more recent times, the Kallam surname has been associated with notable individuals such as K. Kallam Aiya, a 19th-century Tamil scholar and writer who authored several books on Tamil literature and culture, and K. Kallam Krishnamurti, a 20th-century Indian politician and social reformer who fought for the rights of marginalized communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kallam

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

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

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

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