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

Rajagopalan, 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 Rajagopalan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rajagopalan in America

Rajagopalan is the 27164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rajagopalan surname appeared 891 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 Rajagopalan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rajagopalan 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 Rajagopalan

The surname Rajagopalan originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Tamil name that can be traced back to the 15th century or earlier. The name is a combination of two Tamil words, "Raja" meaning king or ruler, and "Gopalan" meaning protector or cowherd.

The earliest known reference to the name Rajagopalan can be found in ancient Tamil literary works and inscriptions from the Chola and Pandya dynasties that ruled over parts of present-day Tamil Nadu and neighboring regions. These inscriptions often recorded the names of local chieftains, landowners, and officials, some of whom bore the name Rajagopalan.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire and the Nayak dynasties, the name Rajagopalan became more prevalent among the ruling and land-owning classes in the Tamil region. Several prominent individuals with this surname are mentioned in historical records from this period, including Rajagopalan Nayak, a feudatory ruler in the Madurai region in the late 17th century.

As the British colonial rule expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Rajagopalan appeared in various administrative and legal documents, such as land revenue records and court proceedings. One notable individual was Rajagopalan Pillai, a wealthy landowner and influential figure in the Tanjore district during the early 19th century.

In the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Rajagopalan gained prominence in various fields. Rajagopalachari (1878-1972), also known as Chakravarti Rajagopalachari or C. Rajagopalachari, was a prominent Indian politician, writer, and statesman who served as the last Governor-General of India before independence. Another notable figure was Sir Rajagopala Aiyar Shastri (1880-1953), a renowned Sanskrit scholar and author.

Other notable individuals with the surname Rajagopalan include Rajagopalan Naidu (1900-1970), a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer, and Rajagopalan Venkataraman (1910-2009), who served as the eighth President of India from 1987 to 1992.

While the name Rajagopalan is most commonly found in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it has also spread to other parts of India and beyond due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Tamil language and culture, reflecting the rich historical and linguistic heritage of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rajagopalan

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

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

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

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