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

Mudaliar, 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 Mudaliar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mudaliar in America

Mudaliar is the 89069th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mudaliar surname appeared 208 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 Mudaliar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mudaliar 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 Mudaliar

The surname "MUDALIAR" is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern regions of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is thought to be derived from the Tamil word "Mudali," which was a title or honorific used to address individuals who held prominent positions or occupations in society.

The earliest known references to the name can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th-13th centuries. It was commonly associated with individuals who held administrative roles or were part of the higher echelons of society during the reigns of various South Indian dynasties, such as the Cholas, Pandyas, and Vijayanagar Empire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the inscriptions and copper plate grants from the Chola period, which mention individuals bearing the title "Mudali" or "Mudaliar." These inscriptions often documented land grants, tax exemptions, or other administrative matters.

Historically, the Mudaliar community was closely associated with the Tamil Brahmin community and played a significant role in the socio-cultural and economic spheres of South India. The name was prevalent among those who held positions of authority, such as village headmen, tax collectors, or government officials.

Notable individuals with the surname "MUDALIAR" throughout history include:

1. Raghunatha Mudaliār (c. 1600s), a renowned Tamil scholar and poet during the Nayak dynasty in Tamil Nadu.
2. Kumara Mudaliar (1785-1835), a pioneering Indian educator and reformer who established one of the earliest modern schools in Madras.
3. Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam Mudaliar (1853-1924), a prominent lawyer and politician who played a key role in the Indian independence movement.
4. Sir Arcot Mudaliar (1887-1976), an Indian statesman and diplomat who served as the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras.
5. C.V. Raman Mudaliar (1892-1975), a renowned Indian mathematician and physicist, best known for his groundbreaking work on the Raman Effect, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.

The name "MUDALIAR" has remained prevalent in various regions of South India, particularly among the Tamil community, and continues to be associated with individuals from diverse professions and backgrounds.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mudaliar

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

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

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

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