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

Kanaga, 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 Kanaga surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kanaga in America

Kanaga is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kanaga surname appeared 139 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 Kanaga.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kanaga 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 Kanaga

The surname Kanaga has its origins in the Tamil language of southern India, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Tamil word "kanagu," which means "accountant" or "clerk." This suggests that the name was likely associated with those who held occupations related to accounting or record-keeping.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various forms, such as Kanakkan, Kanagasundaram, and Kanagamani, reflecting the regional variations and linguistic influences within the Tamil-speaking regions of ancient India.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Tanjore inscriptions, a collection of inscriptions from the Chola Dynasty, which ruled parts of southern India between the 9th and 13th centuries. These inscriptions mention individuals with the name Kanakkan, who held positions as accountants or record-keepers in the royal court.

As the Tamil diaspora spread across the globe, the name Kanaga found its way into different parts of the world. One notable bearer of this surname was Saravana Kanaga, a Tamil philosopher and poet who lived in the 16th century. His works, such as the "Kanaga Puranam," have become important literary contributions to the Tamil language and culture.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Muthu Kanaga Mudali served as a influential merchant and diplomat in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). He played a crucial role in facilitating trade and diplomatic relations between the Dutch and the local rulers.

During the British colonial era in India, several individuals with the surname Kanaga held positions of importance within the British administration. One such example is Ramaswami Kanaga Mudaliar, who served as a judge in the Madras High Court in the late 19th century.

In more recent times, the name Kanaga has been associated with notable figures in various fields. For instance, Kanaga Raja Sundaram was a renowned Indian journalist and writer who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century.

While the surname Kanaga has its roots in Tamil culture and tradition, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by individuals of Tamil descent. Despite its geographical dispersion, the name continues to reflect its historical connection to occupations related to accounting and record-keeping in ancient Tamil society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kanaga

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

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

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

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