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

Mahendran, 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 Mahendran surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahendran in America

Mahendran is the 143149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahendran surname appeared 116 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 Mahendran.

The history of the last name Mahendran

The surname MAHENDRAN is of Indian origin, specifically from the Tamil language spoken in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and parts of Sri Lanka. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, possibly as early as the 7th or 8th century CE.

The name MAHENDRAN is derived from the Tamil words "Maha" meaning great or mighty, and "Indran" which is a reference to the Hindu god Indra, the king of the devas or celestial beings. Thus, the name MAHENDRAN can be interpreted to mean "great lord" or "mighty ruler".

While no specific historical records or manuscripts from ancient times have been found that explicitly mention this surname, it is likely that it was initially adopted by individuals or families who held prominent positions or belonged to the ruling class or nobility during the various dynasties that ruled over the Tamil region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname MAHENDRAN can be traced back to the 16th century, when a Tamil scholar and poet named Mahendran Aiyar lived during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire. He is known for his contributions to Tamil literature, particularly his work on grammar and poetics.

Another notable individual with the surname MAHENDRAN was Rajagopal Mahendran, a renowned Indian film director and screenwriter who lived from 1938 to 2014. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the Tamil new wave cinema movement and is best known for his critically acclaimed films such as "Mullum Malarum" and "Uthiri Pookkal".

In Sri Lanka, where a significant Tamil population resides, the surname MAHENDRAN has also been present for centuries. One prominent figure was Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan Mahendran (1851-1930), a respected lawyer and politician who played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

Another notable person with this surname was Krishnamoorthy Mahendran, a Sri Lankan Tamil mathematician and academic who lived from 1929 to 2016. He made significant contributions to the field of algebra and was a professor at the University of Peradeniya.

In more recent times, the name MAHENDRAN has been associated with various accomplished individuals in fields such as politics, business, and sports. For example, Kanimozhi Mahendran is an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress party, while Suresh Mahendran is a Sri Lankan-born Australian cricketer who played for the Australian national team in the 1990s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahendran

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

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

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

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