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

Narayanasamy, 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 Narayanasamy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Narayanasamy in America

Narayanasamy is the 135593rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Narayanasamy surname appeared 124 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 Narayanasamy.

The history of the last name Narayanasamy

The surname NARAYANASAMY is of Indian origin, specifically from the Tamil-speaking regions of South India. It likely dates back several centuries to the medieval period. The name is a combination of two Sanskrit words: "Narayana," which is a name for the Hindu god Vishnu, and "sami," which means a respectful form of address or a teacher or master.

NARAYANASAMY is a common surname among Tamil Brahmins, who are the traditional priestly class in South India. The name may have originally been a title or honorific conferred upon learned scholars or religious teachers who were revered for their knowledge and devotion to Lord Narayana (Vishnu). Over time, it became a hereditary surname passed down through generations.

Historical references to individuals with the surname NARAYANASAMY can be found in ancient Tamil literature, inscriptions on temple walls, and other records dating back to the Chola and Vijayanagar empires of South India (9th to 16th centuries). One notable figure was Narayanasamy Iyer (1769-1839), a renowned Tamil scholar and poet who wrote influential works on grammar, philosophy, and Hindu mythology.

Another early bearer of the name was Narayanasamy Pillai (1826-1903), a pioneer of modern Tamil prose literature and a prominent social reformer who advocated for women's rights and education. In the 20th century, K. Narayanasamy (1905-1971) was a respected lawyer and politician who served as the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Pondicherry (now Puducherry) from 1963 to 1968.

Other notable individuals with the surname NARAYANASAMY include M.G. Narayanasamy (born 1947), a former Chief Minister of Puducherry, and S.P. Narayanasamy (born 1946), an Indian Administrative Service officer who held various high-level positions in the government of India.

While the NARAYANASAMY surname is predominantly found in the Tamil-speaking regions of South India, it has also spread to other parts of the country and the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Narayanasamy

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

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 Narayanasamy 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.

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

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

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