Ramanathan last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Ramanathan

An Indian surname derived from the name of the Hindu deity Rama.

Ramanathan, 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 Ramanathan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ramanathan in America

Ramanathan is the 22194th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ramanathan surname appeared 1,163 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 Ramanathan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ramanathan 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 22194 35153 -45.20%
Count 1,163 607 62.82%
Proportion per 100k 0.39 0.23 51.61%

The history of the last name Ramanathan

The surname RAMANATHAN originated from India, with its roots going back several centuries. It is derived from two Sanskrit words, "Rama" and "Natha," which together mean "Lord Rama" or "Protector of Lord Rama." The name has its origins in the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions, where it was associated with individuals who were devotees of Lord Rama or served as priests in temples dedicated to him. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Valmiki Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic that narrates the life of Lord Rama.

During the medieval period, the RAMANATHAN name gained prominence among the Brahmin community in South India. Several notable figures bearing this surname emerged, including scholars, poets, and religious leaders. One such individual was Ramanathan Kavindra, a renowned Tamil poet who lived in the 16th century and authored several works on Hindu philosophy and mythology.

In the 18th century, the RAMANATHAN name appeared in historical records related to the Maratha Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent. Ramanathan Bhat, a prominent military commander and advisor to the Maratha ruler Shivaji, played a crucial role in the empire's expansion and consolidation of power.

As the British East India Company established its presence in India, the RAMANATHAN name gained recognition in the fields of law and administration. Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, born in 1851 and died in 1930, was a prominent lawyer and statesman who advocated for the rights of the Tamil community and played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.

Another notable figure was Sir Ramanathan Krishnan, born in 1937, who was a legendary Indian tennis player and one of the most successful athletes of his time. He won numerous prestigious tournaments, including the Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1997.

Throughout its history, the RAMANATHAN name has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including literature, religion, politics, and sports, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diversity of India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ramanathan

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

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 Ramanathan was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.24% 26
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 96.47% 1,122
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.60% 7
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Ramanathan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.24% 1.65% 30.33%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 96.47% 95.55% 0.96%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 0.60% 2.31% -117.53%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Ramanathan last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ramanathan-surname-popularity/.

"Ramanathan last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ramanathan-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Ramanathan last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ramanathan-surname-popularity/.

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