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

Karthikeyan, 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 Karthikeyan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karthikeyan in America

Karthikeyan is the 43969th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karthikeyan surname appeared 490 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 Karthikeyan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karthikeyan 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 Karthikeyan

The surname "KARTHIKEYAN" originated in South India, particularly in the Tamil Nadu region, and can be traced back to the 6th century AD. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kartikeya," which refers to the Hindu god Murugan, also known as Skanda or Subrahmanya.

The name gained prominence during the reign of the Pallava dynasty, who were ardent worshippers of Lord Murugan. Many temples dedicated to this deity were constructed during this period, and individuals associated with these temples or the deity's worship often took the surname Karthikeyan.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the inscriptions at the Murugan temple in Saluvankuppam, near Chennai, dating back to the 7th century AD. These inscriptions mention several individuals with the surname Karthikeyan who held important positions within the temple administration.

During the medieval period, the Karthikeyan surname was prevalent among the Tamil Brahmin community, particularly in the regions of Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, and Chidambaram. These areas were known for their rich cultural heritage and the presence of ancient Murugan temples.

Notable individuals with the surname Karthikeyan include:

1. Karthikeyan Sivasenapathy (1250-1310), a renowned Tamil scholar and poet who authored several works on Hindu philosophy and Tamil grammar.
2. Karthikeyan Thevar (1540-1618), a military commander and chieftain from the Pandya kingdom, known for his bravery and leadership in battles against the Nayak rulers.
3. Karthikeyan Narayanan (1690-1760), a prominent astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of celestial movements and calendrical calculations.
4. Karthikeyan Subramanian (1820-1890), a social reformer and educationist who played a pivotal role in the establishment of modern educational institutions in Tamil Nadu.
5. Karthikeyan Rajagopalan (1910-1985), a pioneering archaeologist and epigraphist who deciphered and interpreted numerous ancient Tamil inscriptions and manuscripts.

The surname Karthikeyan has also been associated with various place names, such as Karthikeyanpatti, Karthikeyapuram, and Karthikeyasamudram, which are villages and towns in Tamil Nadu where the name was prevalent among the local population.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karthikeyan

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

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

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

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