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

Nayar, 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 Nayar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nayar in America

Nayar is the 41657th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nayar surname appeared 522 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 Nayar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nayar 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 Nayar

The surname Nayar originated in India, specifically in the southern state of Kerala. It dates back to ancient times, and the name is derived from the Nair caste, which was a prominent community of warriors and landowners in the region.

The Nair caste was known for their martial prowess and played a significant role in the history of Kerala. The name Nayar is believed to have its roots in the Sanskrit word "Nayaka," which means "leader" or "chief." This reflects the high social status and leadership roles held by members of this community.

Historical records indicate that the Nayars were mentioned in various ancient texts and manuscripts, including the Sangam literature, which dates back to the early centuries of the Common Era. Their presence and influence in Kerala are well documented throughout the region's rich history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nayar can be found in the inscriptions and copper plate grants from the 9th century CE, which were issued by the rulers of the Chera and Pandya dynasties. These inscriptions often referred to prominent Nayar individuals who held important positions in the royal courts or served as military commanders.

Notable individuals with the surname Nayar include Kunjan Nambiar Nayar (1508-1579), a renowned poet and scholar who contributed significantly to the development of Malayalam literature. Another prominent figure was Unni Nayar (1547-1597), a celebrated Nair warrior and military strategist who played a crucial role in the defense of the Calicut kingdom against the Portuguese invasions.

Raman Nayar (1892-1947) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the Nair community and the promotion of education. Akkitham Achuthan Nambudiri (1926-2020), a renowned Malayalam poet, and writer, hailed from a Nayar family and received numerous literary accolades, including the Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honor.

Lastly, Anupama Parameswaran (born 1985) is a contemporary Nayar individual who has made a name for herself as a prominent actress in the Malayalam film industry, receiving critical acclaim for her performances in several award-winning movies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nayar

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

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

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

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