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

Mahalingam, 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 Mahalingam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahalingam in America

Mahalingam is the 71678th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahalingam surname appeared 272 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 Mahalingam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mahalingam 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 Mahalingam

The surname Mahalingam originates from the Indian subcontinent and can be traced back to the Tamil language. It is a combination of two words, "Maha" meaning great or large, and "Lingam" which refers to a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva. This suggests that the name may have been associated with people who lived near or worshipped at a prominent Shiva temple.

Records indicate that the name was prevalent in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, particularly among Hindu communities. Some of the earliest known references to the name can be found in inscriptions and temple records dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries CE, during the height of the Pallava and Pandya dynasties.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Mahalingam was a Tamil scholar and poet who lived during the 9th century CE. His works, which focused on devotional poetry dedicated to Lord Shiva, are still studied and revered in parts of South India.

In the 12th century, a prominent Hindu philosopher and commentator named Mahalingam Somayaji wrote extensively on the Vedas and other sacred texts. His interpretations and writings were highly influential in the spread of Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

During the 16th century, a Tamil military commander named Mahalingam Naicker served under the Vijayanagar Empire and played a crucial role in several battles against the Deccan Sultanates.

In the 18th century, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and teacher named Mahalingam Shastri established a prestigious educational institution in the town of Kumbakonam, which attracted students from across South India.

Another notable figure was Mahalingam Pillai, a 19th-century Tamil scholar and writer who authored several works on Tamil grammar, literature, and culture. His contributions were instrumental in preserving and promoting the rich literary heritage of the Tamil language.

While the surname Mahalingam has its roots in India, it has also been adopted by people of Indian descent living in various parts of the world, including Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean islands, as a result of migration and cultural diffusion.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahalingam

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

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

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

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