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

Naicker, 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 Naicker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naicker in America

Naicker is the 93513th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naicker surname appeared 196 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 Naicker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naicker 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 Naicker

The surname "NAICKER" is believed to have originated in South India, specifically in the state of Tamil Nadu. It traces its roots back to the medieval period, around the 9th to 13th centuries CE. The name is derived from the Tamil word "Naicker," which was a title bestowed upon members of the influential Nayak caste, a dominant landowning and military community.

The name is closely linked to the ancient Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled over a large part of southern India from the 14th to 17th centuries. Many members of the Nayak caste held prominent positions in the imperial administration and military, and the surname "NAICKER" became associated with their status and authority. It is found in various historical records and inscriptions from that era, including the chronicles of the Vijayanagara rulers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Mackenzie Manuscripts," a collection of historical documents compiled by Colonel Colin Mackenzie, a British officer who served in India in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These manuscripts contain references to several individuals bearing the surname "NAICKER," including Govinda Naicker, a prominent chieftain who lived in the 16th century.

The surname also has connections to various place names in Tamil Nadu. For example, the town of Nayakkanpatti, located in the Erode district, is believed to have been named after a local ruler or chieftain from the Nayak community. Similarly, the village of Naickerpatti in the Coimbatore district is thought to have derived its name from the same source.

Historically, there have been several notable individuals who carried the surname "NAICKER." One such figure was Govinda Dikshita Naicker (1534-1616), a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to Hindu theology and literature. Another prominent individual was Muttusami Naicker (1842-1894), a social reformer and activist who fought against the caste system and advocated for the rights of marginalized communities.

Other notable figures include Veerappan Naicker (1952-2004), a notorious Indian bandit and smuggler who operated in the forests of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and Muthuvel Karunanidhi (1924-2018), a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and a prominent figure in the Dravidian political movement. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi, as he was popularly known, was a prolific writer and filmmaker, and his contributions to Tamil literature and cinema were widely acclaimed.

The surname "NAICKER" has a rich history and reflects the cultural and social fabric of South India, particularly the state of Tamil Nadu. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval era, and it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including rulers, scholars, reformers, and even outlaws.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naicker

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

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

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

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