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

Nalli, 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 Nalli surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nalli in America

Nalli is the 84463rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nalli surname appeared 222 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 Nalli.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nalli 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 Nalli

The surname Nalli is believed to have originated in India, likely in the southern region of the country. It is derived from the Tamil word "nalla," which means "good" or "virtuous." The name can be traced back to at least the 15th century, when it was commonly used by Tamil-speaking communities in the region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nalli can be found in ancient Tamil literature, such as the Sangam poetry anthology, which dates back to the early centuries of the common era. These literary works often mentioned individuals with the name Nalli, indicating its prevalence in the region at that time.

In the 16th century, the Nalli surname appeared in several historical records and manuscripts from the Vijayanagara Empire, a powerful Hindu kingdom in southern India. These records often listed individuals with the name Nalli as merchants, traders, or officials in the empire's administration.

During the Mughal period in India, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century, the name Nalli continued to be prominent in various regions of the subcontinent. Several Nalli families were known to have held influential positions in the Mughal court and administration.

One notable individual with the surname Nalli was Nalli Navalar (1828-1906), a renowned Tamil scholar and reformer from Sri Lanka. He played a significant role in reviving and promoting the study of Tamil language and literature in the 19th century.

Another prominent figure was Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti (1862-1920), an Indian businessman and philanthropist from Tamil Nadu. He founded the Nalli Silk Saree House, a renowned textile company, and was also involved in various charitable endeavors.

In the early 20th century, Nalli Dinakar (1898-1969), a Tamil writer and journalist, gained recognition for his contributions to Tamil literature and journalism. He was known for his literary works, including novels and short stories.

Nalli Kuppuswami Chettiar (1886-1968), an Indian industrialist and philanthropist, was another notable figure with the surname Nalli. He founded the Nalli Silk Emporium, a successful textile business, and was also involved in various social and educational initiatives.

Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti (1862-1920) and Nalli Kuppuswami Chettiar (1886-1968) were not the same individuals, but rather two different people from different generations who shared the same surname and were both successful businessmen and philanthropists from Tamil Nadu.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nalli

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

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

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

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