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

Pandian, 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 Pandian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pandian in America

Pandian is the 60347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pandian surname appeared 334 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 Pandian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pandian 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 Pandian

The surname PANDIAN originated in the Tamil region of southern India, with roots that can be traced back to the 3rd century BCE. It is derived from the Tamil word "Pandya," which refers to the ancient Pandya dynasty that ruled over parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The Pandya kingdom was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the region, and their influence extended across the Indian subcontinent and even to Southeast Asia. The name PANDIAN is believed to have been borne by members of the royal family and their descendants, as well as those associated with the court or administration of the Pandya kings.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name PANDIAN can be found in the Madurai Veeran Sundara Pandian inscription, dated around the 13th century CE. This inscription details the exploits of King Sundara Pandian, who ruled over the Pandya kingdom during that time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname PANDIAN. One prominent example is Maravarman Sundara Pandyan I, who reigned as the king of the Pandya dynasty from 1216 to 1238 CE. He is credited with reviving the Pandya kingdom and expanding its territories through military conquests.

Another notable figure is Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan (1251-1268 CE), who was a prolific builder and patron of Tamil literature and culture. He constructed numerous temples and architectural marvels, including the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.

In more recent times, C.V.N. Pandian (1897-1975) was a renowned Indian politician and freedom fighter who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement. He served as the Chief Minister of Madras State (now Tamil Nadu) from 1962 to 1963.

M.G. Ramachandran, better known as M.G.R. (1917-1987), was a prominent Indian actor, filmmaker, and politician who served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for several terms. He was born into a family with the surname PANDIAN, although he is more widely recognized by his stage name.

The PANDIAN surname has also found its way into literature and popular culture. For instance, the character Sundara Pandian is a central figure in the Tamil epic Silappadikaram, which dates back to the 5th or 6th century CE.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pandian

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

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

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

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