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

Patnaik, 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 Patnaik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Patnaik in America

Patnaik is the 40909th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Patnaik surname appeared 533 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 Patnaik.

We can also compare 2010 data for Patnaik 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 Patnaik

The surname PATNAIK originated from the Indian state of Odisha, formerly known as Orissa. It is a prominent surname found among the Odia people, who trace their roots to the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term 'Patana' or 'Patana-ika,' which refers to the city or town dwellers.

PATNAIK is believed to have its origins in the medieval period, when surnames became more widespread in India. During this time, many surnames were derived from occupations, places of origin, or social status. The PATNAIK surname likely emerged to identify individuals who hailed from the town or city, distinguishing them from those residing in rural areas.

Historical records from the region, such as inscriptions and manuscripts, have documented the presence of individuals bearing the PATNAIK surname. One notable mention is found in the "Madala Panji," a chronicle of the Gajapati dynasty that ruled over parts of Odisha between the 15th and 16th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded figures with the PATNAIK surname was Govinda Patnaik, a prominent scholar and poet who lived in the 16th century. His literary works, including the "Arya Niti Sara," have been celebrated for their contribution to Odia literature.

Another noteworthy individual was Biju Patnaik (1916-1997), a distinguished political leader and freedom fighter from Odisha. He played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement and later served as the Chief Minister of Odisha and a Union Minister in the Indian government.

Harekrushna Mahtab Patnaik (1899-1985) was a prominent politician and writer who served as the Prime Minister of the princely state of Bhubaneswar and later became the Chief Minister of Odisha after India's independence.

The PATNAIK surname has also been associated with the town of Patna, which was an important center of trade and learning in ancient and medieval India. Some families bearing this surname may have originated from this historic city, contributing to the variations in spelling and pronunciation.

Nandini Satpathy Patnaik (1932-2018) was a celebrated Odia writer and academician who made significant contributions to the field of Odia literature. Her novels and short stories explored various aspects of Odia culture and society.

While the PATNAIK surname is predominantly found in the state of Odisha, individuals bearing this name have also settled in other parts of India and abroad, carrying with them the rich cultural heritage and traditions of their ancestral homeland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Patnaik

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!