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

Rajagopal, 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 Rajagopal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rajagopal in America

Rajagopal is the 28883rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rajagopal surname appeared 823 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 Rajagopal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rajagopal 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 Rajagopal

The surname RAJAGOPAL is of Indian origin, specifically from the Tamil Nadu region of southern India. It can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th-13th centuries CE. The name is a combination of two Sanskrit words – "Raja" meaning king or ruler, and "Gopal" which is a name for the Hindu deity Lord Krishna, literally meaning "cowherd".

RAJAGOPAL was likely a title or honorific bestowed upon individuals who served as advisors or ministers to the ruling monarchs of the time. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in ancient inscriptions and palm-leaf manuscripts from the Chola and Vijayanagar empires, which ruled over parts of Tamil Nadu and southern India during that era.

One notable historical figure with the surname RAJAGOPAL was Rajagopal Nayakkar, a military commander and statesman who lived in the 16th century. He served under the Nayak rulers of Madurai and played a crucial role in defending the kingdom against invasions by the Vijayanagar Empire.

Another prominent individual was Rajagopal Acharya, a renowned scholar and poet from the 17th century. He was a prolific writer and is credited with authoring several works in Tamil literature, including the epic poem "Ramayana Kalambakam".

In the 18th century, Rajagopal Pillai was a prominent administrator and diplomat who served in the court of the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shahu. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations between the Maratha Empire and the British East India Company.

Moving into the 19th century, Rajagopal Naidu was a renowned social reformer and educator from Tamil Nadu. He campaigned for the abolition of discriminatory practices and worked towards promoting education among underprivileged communities.

Lastly, in the 20th century, Rajagopal Iyengar was a renowned classical dancer and choreographer who played a significant role in reviving and preserving the traditional Bharatanatyam dance form. He was recognized with numerous honors, including the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rajagopal

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

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

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

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