2000
#52,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 372
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Rare Last name
Rajendran
A Tamil surname meaning "king" or "princely".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,113 Americans carry the last name Rajendran. That puts it at #15,331 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,212 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rajendran surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Rajendran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 162,212
Census rank
#15,331
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,843 bearers of the surname Rajendran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15331st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rajendran, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rajendran
The surname Rajendran originates from the Indian subcontinent and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "Raja" meaning king or ruler, and "Indra" which refers to the king of the deities in Hindu mythology. This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who held positions of authority or had close ties to royalty.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in ancient Tamil literary works, such as the Sangam literature, which dates back to the early centuries of the common era. The name was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of India, including the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
During the reign of the Chola Empire, which was a prominent dynasty in South India from the 9th to the 13th centuries, the name Rajendran was often used as a title or honorific for individuals who held high-ranking positions within the royal court or administrative systems.
In the 11th century, a notable figure bearing the name Rajendran was Rajendra Chola I, who ruled the Chola Empire from 1014 to 1044 CE. He was known for his military conquests and for expanding the empire's influence across Southeast Asia.
Another historical figure associated with the name was Rajendran Nair, a prominent writer and poet from Kerala who lived in the 18th century. His works, which included poems and folk songs, played a significant role in shaping the literary landscape of the region.
In the 19th century, Rajendran Velayudhan Nair, a renowned social reformer and educationist from Kerala, worked tirelessly to promote education and uplift disadvantaged communities. His contributions to the field of education earned him widespread recognition and respect.
During the 20th century, Rajendran Balachandran, an Indian classical dancer and choreographer, gained international acclaim for his mastery of the Bharatanatyam dance form. He was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honors, in recognition of his artistic achievements.
While the name Rajendran has its roots in South India, it has since spread to other parts of the country and has been adopted by individuals from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, reflecting the diversity and rich heritage of Indian society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rajendran
Among Census respondents with the surname Rajendran, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Rajendran bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Rajendran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.2% · 1,755
- White2.1% · 39
- Two or more races1.1% · 21
- Black or African American0.7% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rajendran
Rajendran appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#27,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 866
+494 bearers (+132.8%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 24,647 places
2020
#15,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,843
+977 bearers (+112.8%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 12,425 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,403 | 372 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,756 | 866 | 0.29 | +494 bearers (+132.8%) | Up 24,647 places |
| 2020 | #15,331 | 1,843 | 0.62 | +977 bearers (+112.8%) | Up 12,425 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Rajendran surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #27,756 | #15,331 | 44.8% |
| Count | 866 | 1,843 | 112.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.62 | 112.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rajendran bearers went from 866 to 1,843 (+112.8% change). The surname moved up 12,425 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,756 to #15,331.
FAQ
Rajendran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rajendran?
Name Census estimates that about 2,113 living Americans carry the surname Rajendran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,212 residents.
How common is Rajendran?
Rajendran ranks #15,331 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,843 people with the surname Rajendran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Rajendran.
Has Rajendran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rajendran went from 866 recorded bearers to 1,843. That is an increase of 977 (+112.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,756 to #15,331.
What does the Census say about the background of Rajendran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rajendran, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.2%. The next largest groups are White (2.1%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Rajendran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (1,755 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rajendran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.2%), White (2.1%), Two or More Races (1.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Rajendran (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Rajendran mean?
A Tamil surname meaning "king" or "princely". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Rajendran (0.62 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Rajendran?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Rajendran, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.