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

Kotagiri, 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 Kotagiri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kotagiri in America

Kotagiri is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kotagiri surname appeared 104 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 Kotagiri.

The history of the last name Kotagiri

The surname Kotagiri is of Indian origin, specifically from the state of Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have originated during the 15th or 16th century, when the town of Kotagiri was established in the Nilgiri Hills region of Tamil Nadu.

Kotagiri is a compound word derived from the Tamil language. The first part, "kota," means "fort" or "fortress," while "giri" means "mountain." Thus, the name Kotagiri can be translated as "mountain fort" or "fortified mountain," suggesting that it may have been used to identify individuals who lived in or near the fortified town of Kotagiri.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kotagiri can be found in the writings of the British surveyor and geographer, John Ouchterlony, who visited the Nilgiri Hills in the early 19th century. In his book, "A Geographical and Statistical Memoir of a Survey of the Neilgherry Mountains," published in 1847, he described the town of Kotagiri and its inhabitants.

A notable individual with the surname Kotagiri was Manikkam Kotagiri (1861-1941), a prominent Indian lawyer and freedom fighter. He was born in Kotagiri and played an active role in the Indian independence movement, campaigning for social and political reforms.

Another historical figure was Venkataramana Kotagiri (1899-1977), a renowned Indian mathematician and academic. He made significant contributions to the fields of number theory and algebraic geometry, and served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras from 1961 to 1964.

In the field of literature, Subramania Kotagiri (1879-1955) was a highly regarded Tamil poet and writer. He was known for his works that celebrated the beauty of the Nilgiri Hills and advocated for social and cultural reforms.

Kanakalatha Kotagiri (1923-2002) was a renowned classical dancer and teacher from Kotagiri. She played a significant role in preserving and promoting the traditional dance forms of Tamil Nadu, particularly Bharatanatyam.

While the surname Kotagiri is not as common outside of Tamil Nadu, it has been documented in various historical records and manuscripts, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and legacy of the Nilgiri Hills region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kotagiri

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

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

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

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