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

Rajaratnam, 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 Rajaratnam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rajaratnam in America

Rajaratnam is the 106570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rajaratnam surname appeared 167 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 Rajaratnam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rajaratnam 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 Rajaratnam

The surname Rajaratnam originates from the Indian subcontinent, predominantly from regions in the southern part of India such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words "Raja" meaning "king" and "Ratnam" meaning "jewel" or "gem." This suggests that the name may have been associated with royalty or individuals of high social status in ancient times.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Rajaratnam can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions from the 5th to 9th centuries CE. During this period, the name was prevalent among the ruling dynasties and aristocratic families of the region. It is possible that the name was bestowed upon individuals who were considered as valuable and precious as a gem in the eyes of the king or the ruling class.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Rajaratnam was Sri Rajaratnam Pillai, a prominent Tamil scholar and poet who lived in the 18th century. He was renowned for his literary works and contributions to the Tamil language and culture. Another individual of significance was Rajaratnam Velu Pillai, a prominent trader and merchant from the 19th century who played a significant role in the economic and cultural exchange between India and Southeast Asia.

In the modern era, the name Rajaratnam has been carried by several influential individuals. One of the most notable is Raj Rajaratnam, a Sri Lankan-American billionaire and founder of the Galleon Group hedge fund. He was born in 1957 and gained notoriety for being convicted of insider trading in 2011. Another prominent figure is Rajaratnam Sambanthan, a Malaysian politician and former leader of the Malaysian Indian Congress, who was born in 1937 and played a significant role in advocating for the rights of the Indian community in Malaysia.

Other individuals with the surname Rajaratnam include Rajaratnam Krishnamurthy, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer who was born in 1956 and has made significant contributions to the field of Bharatanatyam dance. Rajaratnam Sridharan, born in 1952, is a renowned Indian-American engineer and entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the field of computer networking and data storage technologies.

While the name Rajaratnam holds deep historical roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has become more widely dispersed across the globe due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient kingdoms and ruling dynasties of southern India, where it was associated with royalty, nobility, and individuals of high social standing.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rajaratnam

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rajaratnam, 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!