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

Lanka, 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 Lanka surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lanka in America

Lanka is the 45959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lanka surname appeared 464 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 Lanka.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lanka 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 Lanka

The surname Lanka traces its origins to the island nation of Sri Lanka, known historically as Lanka. The name is derived from the Sinhala language, which is the primary language spoken in Sri Lanka. The name itself is believed to have originated in the 6th century BCE, when the island was referred to as Lanka in ancient Hindu texts and epics.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Lanka can be found in historical records from the Anuradhapura period (377 BCE - 1017 CE), when Sri Lanka was ruled by various Sinhalese kingdoms. During this time, the name Lanka was used to refer to individuals hailing from the island or those with close ties to the region.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Lanka was King Vijayabahu I (1055-1110), who ruled the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa and is credited with unifying the island after years of conflict. He is regarded as one of the most influential rulers in Sri Lankan history and played a significant role in reviving the island's Buddhist traditions.

In the 13th century, the name Lanka appeared in the Culavamsa, a historical chronicle that recorded the lives of Sri Lankan kings and the events of the time. This text mentions several individuals with the surname Lanka, suggesting that it was a well-established name during this period.

During the Portuguese and Dutch colonial periods (16th to 18th centuries), the surname Lanka continued to be used by Sinhalese families, particularly those with roots in the central and southern regions of the island. Some notable individuals from this time include Vimaladharmasuriya I (1592-1604), a powerful aristocrat and chief minister during the reign of King Vimaladharmasuriya.

In more recent history, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Lanka was Sir Richard Ratnāvadī Mudaliyar (1880-1953), a prominent Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) statesman, and politician who served as the Speaker of the State Council of Ceylon from 1936 to 1947.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lanka include Gunapala Malalasekera (1899-1973), a renowned Buddhist scholar and author; Lakshman Kadirgamar (1932-2005), a prominent Sri Lankan politician and diplomat; and Saman Lanka (born 1956), a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played Test cricket for the national team in the 1980s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lanka

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

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

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

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