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

Nandy, 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 Nandy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nandy in America

Nandy is the 87663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nandy surname appeared 212 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 Nandy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nandy 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 Nandy

The surname Nandy has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Bengal. This name dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Bengali word "Nandi," which means "joy" or "delight."

In ancient Hindu mythology, Nandi is the name of the sacred bull, a vahana (vehicle) of Lord Shiva. The name Nandy may have been adopted by individuals or families associated with the worship of Shiva or those who revered the sacred bull.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Nandy can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It mentions individuals with the surname Nandy serving as government officials and landowners in Bengal during that period.

In the 17th century, the Nandy family played a significant role in the establishment of the Navanavami festival in Bengal, which celebrated the worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. The Nandy family's involvement in this festival is documented in various historical records and manuscripts.

Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Nandy, one can mention Kshitish Chandra Nandy (1881-1949), a renowned Bengali writer and playwright, known for his works such as "Nabakumar" and "Gobindo Galap." Another prominent figure was Ashok Kumar Nandy (1917-1994), an Indian politician who served as a member of the Constituent Assembly and was involved in the drafting of the Indian Constitution.

Rabindranath Tagore, the celebrated Bengali polymath and Nobel Laureate, had a close association with the Nandy family. His mentor, Jyotirindranath Tagore, was married to Jogmaya Devi, a member of the Nandy family. This connection influenced Tagore's literary works and his understanding of Bengali culture.

In the field of science, Meghnad Saha (1893-1956), an astrophysicist and prominent scholar, hailed from the Nandy family. He is renowned for his groundbreaking work on the thermal ionization of elements and the Saha equation, which bears his name.

Throughout history, the surname Nandy has been associated with various place names and localities in Bengal, such as Nandipara, Nandikumar, and Nandigram, reflecting the presence and influence of the Nandy community in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nandy

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

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

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

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