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

Perumal, 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 Perumal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Perumal in America

Perumal is the 46568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Perumal surname appeared 457 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 Perumal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Perumal 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 Perumal

The surname Perumal originates from Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India. It is believed to have derived from the Tamil word 'Perumal', which means 'great person' or 'lord'. This name was initially used as a title or honorific for revered individuals or deities in Hindu culture.

The earliest known records of the surname Perumal can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the reign of the Pallava dynasty in Tamil Nadu. It was used as a title for prominent figures, including rulers and religious leaders. Some ancient inscriptions from this period mention individuals with the name Perumal or variations of it.

During the 9th to 13th centuries, the Chola Empire, which ruled over large parts of southern India, also employed the title Perumal for influential personalities. Historical records from the Chola period, such as temple inscriptions and literary works, contain references to individuals bearing this name.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Perumal was Kulothunga Chola I, a renowned ruler of the Chola Empire who lived from 1070 to 1122 CE. He was also known as Kulothunga Perumal and was known for his military conquests and patronage of arts and architecture.

Another notable figure was Ramanuja Perumal (1017-1137 CE), a renowned Hindu philosopher and theologian who played a pivotal role in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. He was instrumental in propagating the philosophy of Vishishtadvaita (qualified non-dualism).

In the 16th century, Govinda Dikshitar Perumal (1495-1570 CE) was a prominent scholar and poet who wrote several works in Tamil and Sanskrit. He was a respected figure in the Sri Vaishnava tradition and is known for his devotional compositions.

During the 17th century, Tiru Kachi Perumal Mudali (1622-1686 CE) was a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Tamil Nadu. He was known for his charitable works, including the construction of temples and educational institutions.

In more recent times, Sir Annamalai Chettiar Perumal (1865-1948 CE) was a prominent Indian businessman and philanthropist. He founded the Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu and made significant contributions to education and social welfare.

While the surname Perumal has its roots in Tamil Nadu, it has spread to other parts of India and even beyond, with people of Tamil origin carrying this name. However, the historical significance and cultural connections of this surname remain deeply rooted in the rich heritage of Tamil Nadu and its ancient traditions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Perumal

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

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

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

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