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

Krishnan, 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 Krishnan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Krishnan in America

Krishnan is the 8631st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Krishnan surname appeared 3,810 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Krishnan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Krishnan 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 Krishnan

The surname Krishnan is of Indian origin, specifically from the Tamil speaking regions of southern India. It dates back to ancient times and is derived from the Sanskrit word "Krishna" which means dark or black.

The name Krishnan was originally an honorific title bestowed upon Vaishnavite Brahmins and other upper-caste Hindus who revered Lord Krishna, an avatar of the god Vishnu. Over time, it evolved into a surname used by various communities across South India.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Krishnan can be found in the ancient Tamil literary works of the Sangam period, which dates back to the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. Several prominent poets and scholars from this era bore the name, including Krishnan Ravi, a celebrated Tamil poet and scholar from the 2nd century CE.

During the medieval period, the name Krishnan was associated with several influential figures in South Indian history. One notable example is Krishnan Raya, a 16th-century ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, who was known for his patronage of art and architecture.

In the 18th century, Krishnan Sastri, a renowned scholar and philosopher from Tamil Nadu, gained widespread recognition for his works on Hindu philosophy and theology.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Krishnan Iyer, a 19th-century social reformer and educator from Kerala, who played a crucial role in establishing modern educational institutions in the region.

In more recent times, Krishnan Nair Shantakumaran Nair, a renowned Kathakali artist and choreographer from Kerala, has contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of this classical Indian dance form.

Other notable individuals with the surname Krishnan include Krishnan Pandalai, a celebrated Indian writer and journalist from the early 20th century, and Krishnan Rajeshwari, a renowned Carnatic music vocalist and recipient of the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Krishnan

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

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

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

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