Narain last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Narain

A Hindu surname of Indian origin meaning 'supreme God' or 'lord'.

Narain, 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 Narain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Narain in America

Narain is the 24352nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Narain surname appeared 1,029 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 Narain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Narain 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 24352 32161 -27.64%
Count 1,029 676 41.41%
Proportion per 100k 0.35 0.25 33.33%

The history of the last name Narain

The surname NARAIN originated in India and has its roots in the Sanskrit language. It is believed to have been derived from the word "Nara," which means "man" or "leader," and "Aina," meaning "mirror" or "reflection." Thus, the name NARAIN could be interpreted as "the leader who reflects."

NARAIN is commonly found in northern and central regions of India, particularly in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. It is primarily associated with the Brahmin and Kshatriya communities, which were traditionally scholars, priests, and warriors.

One of the earliest known references to the name NARAIN can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Puranas and the Upanishads. These texts mention individuals with this name as important figures in various religious and philosophical contexts.

In the 12th century, a renowned poet and scholar named Narain Pandit gained recognition for his literary works, including the Narain Sataka, a collection of verses on various subjects. He was born in the village of Nandgaon, near present-day Varanasi, and lived from 1110 to 1185 CE.

Another notable figure with the surname NARAIN was Maharaja Narain Chand, who ruled the princely state of Kota in Rajasthan during the 18th century. He was known for his patronage of the arts and literature, and his reign saw the construction of several architectural marvels, including the Kota Fort and the Jagannath Temple.

In the 19th century, Pandit Narain Dutt Shastri, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and educator, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Indian texts. He was born in 1825 in Varanasi and played a crucial role in establishing the Sanskrit College in Calcutta (now Kolkata).

During the Indian independence movement, Narain Prasad Mandal, born in 1898 in Bihar, was a prominent figure who advocated for the rights of the backward classes and worked towards their upliftment. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and played a vital role in shaping the country's constitution.

In more recent times, Dr. Narain Karthikeyan, an acclaimed scientist and space researcher, made significant contributions to India's space program. Born in 1924 in Tamil Nadu, he worked for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and played a pivotal role in the development of India's first satellite launch vehicle, the SLV-3.

The surname NARAIN has a rich history and has been associated with individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields, including literature, religion, politics, and science. Its origins can be traced back to ancient India, and it continues to be a prominent surname in the country today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Narain

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

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 Narain was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 4.86% 50
Non-Hispanic Black Only 17.49% 180
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 63.07% 649
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 3.21% 33
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 7.09% 73
Hispanic Origin 4.28% 44

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 Narain has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 4.86% 4.44% 9.03%
Black 17.49% 9.02% 63.90%
Asian and Pacific Islander 63.07% 57.25% 9.67%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 3.21% 3.11% 3.16%
Two or More Races 7.09% 22.04% -102.64%
Hispanic 4.28% 4.14% 3.33%

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

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

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