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

Ramalingam, 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 Ramalingam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ramalingam in America

Ramalingam is the 41799th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ramalingam surname appeared 520 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 Ramalingam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ramalingam 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 Ramalingam

The surname Ramalingam is rooted in the Tamil culture of southern India, and its origins can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is a compound word derived from the combination of "Rama" and "Lingam," both of which carry significant cultural and religious connotations.

Rama, as a prefix, is a reference to the Hindu deity Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu and the central figure in the epic Ramayana. The inclusion of this prefix suggests a strong connection to the veneration of Rama and the ideals he represented, such as righteousness, duty, and devotion.

The term "Lingam," on the other hand, is a symbolic representation of the Hindu deity Shiva and is considered a sacred object in Hindu temples and rituals. The Lingam is a representation of the cosmic energy that permeates the universe and is often associated with the concepts of fertility, creation, and regeneration.

The earliest known references to the surname Ramalingam can be found in ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions from the 9th to 12th centuries CE. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this name was Ramalingam Pillai, a renowned scholar and author who lived in the 13th century. His works, which covered a wide range of subjects including philosophy, religion, and literature, are still studied and revered in Tamil academic circles.

Another notable figure was Ramalingam Adigal, a 19th-century Tamil mystic and social reformer. Born in 1823, Ramalingam's teachings emphasized the importance of spiritual enlightenment and social justice. He advocated for the abolition of caste discrimination and the upliftment of marginalized communities, earning him a significant following and lasting influence in the region.

In the realm of literature, Ramalingam Chettiar, a 20th-century Tamil writer and playwright, left an indelible mark. His works, which often explored socio-political themes and the complexities of human relationships, earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980.

The name Ramalingam has also been associated with notable figures in the fields of mathematics and science. Ramalingam Chidambaram Pillai, born in 1888, was a renowned mathematician and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of number theory and algebraic geometry.

Lastly, Ramalingam Varadarajan, a contemporary Indian-American mathematician born in 1937, has made substantial contributions to the fields of representation theory and harmonic analysis. His groundbreaking work has earned him numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious Leroy P. Steele Prize for Lifetime Achievement from the American Mathematical Society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ramalingam

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

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

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

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