2000
#22,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,087
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Narayanan
A surname of Sanskrit origin referring to followers or descendants of the Hindu deity Narayana (Vishnu).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,412 Americans carry the last name Narayanan. That puts it at #10,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,456 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Narayanan surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Narayanan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,456
Census rank
#10,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,975 bearers of the surname Narayanan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Narayanan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Narayanan
Among Census respondents with the surname Narayanan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Narayanan bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Narayanan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.1% · 2,830
- White2.4% · 70
- Two or more races1.6% · 49
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Narayanan
Narayanan appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,188
+1,101 bearers (+101.3%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 8,359 places
2020
#10,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,975
+787 bearers (+36.0%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Up 3,515 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,174 | 1,087 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,815 | 2,188 | 0.74 | +1,101 bearers (+101.3%) | Up 8,359 places |
| 2020 | #10,300 | 2,975 | 1.00 | +787 bearers (+36.0%) | Up 3,515 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Narayanan surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,815 | #10,300 | 25.4% |
| Count | 2,188 | 2,975 | 36.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 1.00 | 34.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Narayanan bearers went from 2,188 to 2,975 (+36.0% change). The surname moved up 3,515 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,815 to #10,300.
FAQ
Narayanan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Narayanan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,412 living Americans carry the surname Narayanan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,456 residents.
How common is Narayanan?
Narayanan ranks #10,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,975 people with the surname Narayanan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,412), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Narayanan.
Has Narayanan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Narayanan went from 2,188 recorded bearers to 2,975. That is an increase of 787 (+36.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,815 to #10,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Narayanan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Narayanan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.1%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Narayanan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (2,830 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Narayanan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.1%), White (2.4%), Two or More Races (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Narayanan (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Narayanan mean?
A surname of Sanskrit origin referring to followers or descendants of the Hindu deity Narayana (Vishnu). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Narayanan (1.00 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Narayanan?
Find out how many people are called Narayanan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.