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

Pandya, 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 Pandya surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pandya in America

Pandya is the 9271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pandya surname appeared 3,512 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 Pandya.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pandya 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 Pandya

The surname Pandya has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically the western state of Gujarat. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Pandya," which refers to the ancient Pandya dynasty that ruled parts of present-day Tamil Nadu from the 6th century BCE to the 17th century CE.

The Pandya surname is closely associated with the Kshatriya (warrior) caste and is found predominantly among the Rajput community of Gujarat. The name is thought to have been adopted by individuals or families who claimed descent from the Pandya rulers or had some historical connection to the dynasty.

Historical records indicate that the Pandya name was in use as early as the 8th century CE, with references found in inscriptions and manuscripts from various parts of India. One notable example is the mention of a Pandya ruler named Parantaka I in the Velvikudi Copper Plates, a set of inscriptions dated to the 9th century CE.

The earliest recorded instances of the Pandya surname can be traced back to the 12th century CE, with the name appearing in various medieval texts and records from the Gujarat region. Some notable individuals with the Pandya surname include:

1. Mayuradhvaja Pandya (c. 1150-1200 CE), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet from Gujarat.
2. Amarasimha Pandya (c. 1300-1350 CE), a celebrated author and grammarian who wrote the Sanskrit text "Amarakosha."
3. Bhupatsinh Pandya (1677-1736 CE), a Rajput warrior and chieftain who played a significant role in the resistance against the Mughal Empire.
4. Samvatsarana Pandya (1810-1879 CE), a prominent educationist and social reformer from Gujarat.
5. Govardhanram Tripathi Pandya (1858-1920 CE), a renowned scholar and writer who contributed extensively to the field of Indian philosophy and literature.

It is worth noting that the Pandya surname has also been associated with various place names in Gujarat, such as Pandav Nagar, Pandya Village, and Pandya Taluka, which further reinforces its historical roots in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pandya

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

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

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

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