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

Ravishankar, 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 Ravishankar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ravishankar in America

Ravishankar is the 62189th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ravishankar surname appeared 322 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 Ravishankar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ravishankar 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 Ravishankar

The surname "RAVISHANKAR" is of Indian origin, specifically from the Sanskrit language. It is a combination of two words, "Ravi" meaning sun, and "Shankar" which is one of the names of the Hindu deity Shiva, the destroyer and transformer.

The name likely originated in the Indian subcontinent during the ancient period when Sanskrit was widely used as a language of religion, literature, and scholarship. It is possible that the name was initially given to individuals who were devotees of Lord Shiva or had a connection to the sun, either through their profession or beliefs.

While there is no definitive historical record of the earliest use of this surname, it is believed to have been in use for several centuries, particularly in the northern regions of India where Sanskrit had a stronger influence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ravishankar can be found in the writings of the 16th century Indian poet and scholar, Ravishankar Shukla. He was a prolific writer and contributed significantly to the development of Hindi literature.

Another notable figure with this surname was Ravishankar Maharaj (1976-2007), an Indian spiritual leader and the founder of the Ravi Shankar International Association. He was known for his teachings on meditation and self-realization.

In the field of music, Ravishankar Narayanan (1892-1953) was a renowned Indian classical musician and a pioneer of the Hindustani classical music tradition. He was a skilled vocalist and a respected guru who trained many prominent musicians.

Ravishankar Vyas (1892-1957) was an Indian freedom fighter who actively participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and played a significant role in the non-violent resistance movement.

Ravishankar Shukla (1933-2003) was a prominent Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, a state in central India, from 1993 to 2003. He was known for his contributions to the development of the state and his efforts to improve the lives of its people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ravishankar

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

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

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

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