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

Murthy, 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 Murthy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Murthy in America

Murthy is the 20818th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Murthy surname appeared 1,268 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 Murthy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Murthy 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 Murthy

The surname Murthy is of Indian origin, specifically from the southern state of Karnataka. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "murthi," which means "form" or "embodiment." The name is believed to have originated during the medieval period in India, around the 10th to 12th centuries.

The Murthy surname is associated with the Brahmin community in Karnataka, and it is believed to have been a title or honorific given to individuals who were considered embodiments of certain deities or spiritual principles. The name was likely adopted as a surname during the later centuries, as the practice of using family names became more widespread in India.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Murthy surname can be found in ancient inscriptions and manuscripts from the Hoysala Empire, which ruled over parts of present-day Karnataka from the 10th to the 14th centuries. The name is also mentioned in historical texts from the Vijayanagara Empire, which flourished in South India from the 14th to the 17th centuries.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Murthy was Tontadarya Murthy, a renowned scholar and poet from the Kannada literary tradition. He was born in the town of Maddur in Karnataka and is considered one of the most influential writers of the Vijayanagara period.

Another prominent individual with the Murthy surname was Raghavendra Swami, a revered Hindu saint and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. He was born in the village of Bhuvanagiri in Karnataka in 1595 and is remembered for his spiritual teachings and writings, which continue to be studied and followed by many Hindus today.

In the 18th century, Narasimha Murthy was a renowned mathematician and astronomer from the Mysore region of Karnataka. He made significant contributions to the field of astrology and authored several treatises on the subject, which are still studied by scholars and practitioners.

During the 19th century, Govinda Murthy was a notable scholar and educator who helped establish several educational institutions in Karnataka. He was born in 1825 and played a pivotal role in promoting education and literacy in the region.

In more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the Murthy surname is N.R. Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, one of India's largest and most successful software companies. Born in 1946 in Karnataka, he is widely regarded as a pioneer in the Indian IT industry and has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to business and philanthropy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Murthy

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

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

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

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