Punnoose last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Punnoose

An Indian surname derived from the Malayalam word 'punnooru', meaning 'golden blossoms'.

Punnoose, 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 Punnoose surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Punnoose in America

Punnoose is the 82908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Punnoose surname appeared 227 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 Punnoose.

We can also compare 2010 data for Punnoose 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 82908 108734 -26.95%
Count 227 151 40.21%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.06 28.57%

The history of the last name Punnoose

The surname Punnoose has its origins in the Indian state of Kerala, dating back to the 16th century CE. It is believed to have derived from the Malayalam word "punnu," which means "gold." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with goldsmiths or those involved in the gold trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Punnoose can be found in the historical records of the Travancore Kingdom, which ruled over parts of present-day Kerala. These records mention a prominent family bearing the surname Punnoose, who held influential positions within the royal court during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The name Punnoose has also been linked to certain place names in Kerala, such as Punnoose Pally, which translates to "Punnoose Church." This ancient church, located in the district of Alappuzha, is believed to have been established by a family bearing the Punnoose surname.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Punnoose, one can mention Dr. Jacob Punnoose (1884-1960), a pioneering medical practitioner and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of modern healthcare in Kerala. Another prominent figure was Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer Punnoose (1879-1957), a distinguished lawyer and judge who served as the Advocate General of the Madras Presidency during British rule.

In the realm of literature, K. C. Punnoose (1912-1995) was a respected Malayalam novelist and short story writer, known for his vivid portrayal of rural life in Kerala. His works, such as "Prabhatha Kusumangal" and "Manassarovar," have left an indelible mark on the literary landscape of the region.

Another notable bearer of the Punnoose surname was Dr. Isaac Mathai Punnoose (1898-1980), a pioneering agriculturist and scientist who played a crucial role in the development of modern farming techniques in Kerala. His contributions to the field of agriculture were widely recognized and celebrated.

In the field of sports, P. T. Punnoose (1921-2001) was a renowned cricketer who represented India in Test matches during the 1940s and 1950s. He was known for his exceptional batting skills and his leadership on the field as the captain of the Indian cricket team.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Punnoose

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

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 Punnoose was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 97.36% 221
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Punnoose has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White (S)% (S)% (S)%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander 97.36% 96.03% 1.38%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% 0.00% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Punnoose last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/punnoose-surname-popularity/.

"Punnoose last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/punnoose-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Punnoose last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/punnoose-surname-popularity/.

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