Mahendra last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Mahendra

A surname derived from the Sanskrit words "mah" meaning great and "indra" meaning lord, denoting someone with high authority or status.

Mahendra, 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 Mahendra surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahendra in America

Mahendra is the 115639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahendra surname appeared 151 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 Mahendra.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mahendra 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 115639 146011 -23.22%
Count 151 104 36.86%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.04 22.22%

The history of the last name Mahendra

The surname Mahendra has its origins traced back to ancient India, specifically the Sanskrit language. This name is derived from the words "Maha" meaning great and "Indra" referring to the king of the deities in Hindu mythology. It is believed that the name was initially used as a title or an honorific, bestowed upon individuals of high social standing or those associated with royalty.

During the medieval period, the name Mahendra gained prominence among the ruling dynasties and noble families of various regions in the Indian subcontinent. Several historical records and inscriptions from this era mention individuals bearing this name, attesting to its widespread use across different kingdoms and empires.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Mahendra can be found in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata, where it is mentioned as the name of a mountain range. This association with a significant geographical feature highlights the importance and reverence attached to this name in Indian culture.

Throughout the centuries, the name Mahendra has been borne by several notable figures, including kings, warriors, and scholars. One such individual was Mahendra Varman I, a king of the Pallava dynasty who ruled in the 7th century CE and is celebrated for his architectural achievements, including the construction of the renowned Shiva temples at Mahabalipuram.

Another prominent figure was Mahendra Pallava, a 9th-century Chola prince and military commander known for his strategic brilliance and successful campaigns against the Pandyan kingdom. His exploits are recorded in various inscriptions and chronicles of the time.

In the realm of literature, Mahendra Nath Datta, a renowned Bengali author and poet who lived from 1824 to 1858, made significant contributions to the Bengali Renaissance movement through his works, which explored themes of social reform and cultural identity.

The name Mahendra has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations in India. For instance, the Mahendra Giri mountain range in Odisha and the Mahendragiri Hill in Tamil Nadu bear this name, further reinforcing its deep-rooted connections to the region's cultural and historical landscape.

Throughout its long history, the surname Mahendra has maintained a sense of prestige and reverence, often associated with individuals of high social standing, intellectual prowess, or military achievements. Its origins in Sanskrit and its enduring presence in various historical records and literary works continue to make it a significant and respected name within Indian culture and tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahendra

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

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 Mahendra was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 5.96% 9
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 90.73% 137
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Mahendra has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 5.96% 5.77% 3.24%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 90.73% 83.65% 8.12%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% 9.62% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Mahendra last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/mahendra-surname-popularity/.

"Mahendra last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/mahendra-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Mahendra last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/mahendra-surname-popularity/.

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