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

Naidoo, 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 Naidoo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naidoo in America

Naidoo is the 45959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naidoo surname appeared 464 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 Naidoo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naidoo 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 Naidoo

The surname Naidoo originated in South Africa, specifically among the Tamil community that immigrated to the country from India in the 19th century. It is derived from the Tamil word "Nayudu," which means "leader" or "chief."

The name Naidoo has its roots in the Tamil region of southern India, where it was historically associated with the ruling class and landowners. The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century, with references found in ancient Tamil literary works and inscriptions.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Naidoo was Muthusami Naidoo, a prominent Tamil leader and activist who fought against the discriminatory laws imposed on Indian immigrants in South Africa in the late 19th century. He was born in 1847 and played a pivotal role in the resistance against the oppressive policies of the colonial government.

Another notable figure was Govindasamy Krishnasamy Naidoo, a prominent South African lawyer and human rights activist who fought against the apartheid regime. He was born in 1924 and was a leading figure in the anti-apartheid movement, working alongside Nelson Mandela and other influential figures.

In the field of literature, the name Naidoo is associated with notable authors such as Beverley Naidoo, a South African writer and children's author born in 1943. Her works often explore themes of social justice and human rights, drawing inspiration from her experiences growing up in apartheid South Africa.

Historically, the name Naidoo has also been associated with various place names in South Africa, such as the town of Naidoo in KwaZulu-Natal province, which was named after a prominent local landowner from the Naidoo family.

Moving beyond South Africa, the Naidoo surname has also been found in other parts of the world where Tamil communities have settled, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Mauritius. However, its origins and historical significance can be traced back to the Tamil region of India and the subsequent migration of Tamil people to South Africa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naidoo

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

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

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

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