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

Rangan, 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 Rangan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rangan in America

Rangan is the 97210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rangan surname appeared 187 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 Rangan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rangan 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 Rangan

The surname RANGAN is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is derived from the Tamil word "Ranganathan," which means "one who belongs to the divine form of Lord Vishnu."

The earliest known records of the name RANGAN can be traced back to the 9th century CE, when it appeared in ancient Tamil literature and inscriptions. During this period, the region was ruled by the Chola Dynasty, and many scholars and poets bearing the name RANGAN were patronized by the kings.

In the 11th century, a renowned Tamil poet named Rangan Athitha Kavirayar, also known as Athithan, composed a masterpiece called "Athitha Vinnappam," a poetic work that praised the Chola king Kulothunga Chola I. Athithan's birth and death years are not precisely known, but he is believed to have lived between 1000 and 1100 CE.

Another notable figure from ancient times was Rangan Thamizhan, a celebrated Tamil grammarian and linguist who lived during the 12th century CE. His works, such as "Nannul" and "Nannul Viralayiram," are considered seminal texts in Tamil grammar and literature.

In the 16th century, a renowned Vaishnavite saint and philosopher, Rangan Athreya, gained prominence in the southern regions of India. He was a proponent of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy and authored several works on Vedanta and Hindu theology.

During the medieval period, the RANGAN surname was also found in parts of present-day Kerala, where it was associated with the Nair community. One notable figure from this region was Rangan Pillai, a military commander and diplomat who served under the Kingdom of Travancore in the 18th century.

Throughout history, the surname RANGAN has been associated with scholars, poets, philosophers, and warriors, reflecting the diverse cultural heritage of southern India. While the name has evolved and spread across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Tamil civilization, where it held significant cultural and religious connotations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rangan

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

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

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

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