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

Natarajan, 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 Natarajan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Natarajan in America

Natarajan is the 14761st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Natarajan surname appeared 2,012 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 Natarajan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Natarajan 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 Natarajan

The surname Natarajan originated in India, specifically in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century AD. The name is derived from the Tamil words "Natarajar," which refer to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva in his form as the cosmic dancer.

Natarajan is a combination of two words: "Natar" meaning "dancer" and "ajan" meaning "lord" or "master." This surname was likely adopted by devotees or followers of Lord Shiva, who revered him as the Lord of Dance (Nataraja). The name may have been associated with individuals involved in temple services, dance, or other artistic pursuits related to Shiva's worship.

Early records mentioning the surname Natarajan can be found in ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions on temple walls dating back to the Chola and Pallava dynasties, which ruled parts of present-day Tamil Nadu between the 6th and 13th centuries AD. Some notable examples include references in the Tevaram hymns composed by the Nayanar saints and in the inscriptions of the Brihadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, built by the Chola king Rajaraja Chola I in the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname Natarajan was Nataraja Desika, a prominent Hindu philosopher and scholar who lived in the 14th century. He was a renowned exponent of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy and authored several literary works, including the Srimad Rahasyatrayasara.

Another notable figure was Nataraja Mudaliar, a 17th-century Tamil scholar and poet from the Thanjavur region. He is renowned for his contribution to Tamil literature, particularly in the field of grammar and poetics.

In the 19th century, Natarajan Govindhacharya, a Sanskrit scholar and grammarian, gained recognition for his works on Sanskrit grammar and literature. He authored several treatises, including the Narayana Vrittih, a commentary on the Ashtadhyayi of Panini.

During the 20th century, Natarajan Subramaniam, a renowned carnatic vocalist and music composer, left a significant impact on the world of Indian classical music. He was born in 1928 and received numerous accolades, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.

Another notable figure was Natarajan Krishnaswamy, a distinguished mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of partial differential equations. He was born in 1928 and served as a professor at various prestigious institutions, including the Indian Statistical Institute and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Natarajan

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

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

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

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