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

Narayanan, 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 Narayanan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Narayanan in America

Narayanan is the 13815th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Narayanan surname appeared 2,188 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Narayanan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Narayanan 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 Narayanan

The surname Narayanan originates from India and can be traced back to the Sanskrit language, which was widely used in ancient Indian texts and scriptures. The name is derived from the combination of two Sanskrit words, "Nara" meaning human or man, and "Ayana" meaning abode or dwelling place. Together, Narayanan can be translated to mean "the abode of man" or "the dwelling place of humanity."

This surname has its roots in the Hindu religious traditions, where it is believed to be closely associated with Lord Vishnu, one of the principal deities in Hinduism. Lord Vishnu is often referred to as Narayana, which is another variation of the name Narayanan. In Hindu mythology, Narayana is considered the Supreme Being and the preserver of the universe.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Narayanan can be found in ancient Hindu texts and scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, dating back to the first millennium BCE. One notable example is the Narayana Upanishad, a sacred text that discusses the concept of Narayana as the ultimate reality.

Throughout history, several individuals bearing the surname Narayanan have made significant contributions in various fields. One prominent figure was Sir C.V. Narayanan Nair (1865-1931), an Indian lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. Another notable individual was K.R. Narayanan (1920-2005), who served as the 10th President of India from 1997 to 2002.

The name Narayanan has also been associated with several prominent authors and scholars. For instance, M.K. Narayanan (1905-1982) was a renowned Malayalam writer and literary critic, while R. Narayanan (1920-2001) was an acclaimed Tamil writer and journalist.

In the field of art and culture, the name Narayanan has left its mark as well. Govindappa Venkataswamy Narayanan (1896-1981), better known as G.V. Narayanan, was a prominent Indian painter and art educator who played a significant role in the development of the Madras Art Movement.

While the surname Narayanan has its origins in India, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, its roots remain firmly grounded in the rich cultural and religious traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Narayanan

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

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

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

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