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

Samarasinghe, 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 Samarasinghe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samarasinghe in America

Samarasinghe is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samarasinghe surname appeared 133 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 Samarasinghe.

The history of the last name Samarasinghe

The surname Samarasinghe is of Sri Lankan origin, with roots dating back to the 10th century AD. It is a compound name derived from the Sinhalese words 'samara', meaning battle or war, and 'singhe', meaning lion. The name likely originated as a title bestowed upon brave warriors or chieftains who displayed lion-like courage in times of conflict.

The earliest known recording of the name Samarasinghe can be found in the Mahavamsa, an ancient chronicle of Sri Lankan history written in the 5th century AD. It mentions a chieftain named Samarasinghe who led his clan against invading forces during the reign of King Dappula IV.

During the medieval period, the Samarasinghe clan was a prominent family in the Kandyan Kingdom, located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. They held positions of power and influence, often serving as advisors or generals to the Kandyan kings.

One notable figure bearing the name was Samarasinghe Mudaliyar, a high-ranking official and diplomat who served under King Vimaladharmasuriya II in the late 17th century. He played a crucial role in negotiations with the Dutch East India Company and is mentioned in several Dutch colonial records from that era.

In the 19th century, Samarasinghe Seneviratne was a revered Buddhist monk and scholar who contributed significantly to the revival of Sinhalese literature and culture. His works, such as the Sinhalese-English dictionary, are considered invaluable resources for preserving the language and traditions of Sri Lanka.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir Solomon Samarasinghe, a distinguished lawyer and statesman who served as the first Speaker of the Parliament of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from 1947 to 1952. He played a pivotal role in the country's transition to self-governance and independence from British rule.

The name Samarasinghe continues to be widely used in Sri Lanka, with many notable figures bearing the surname in various fields, including politics, academia, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samarasinghe

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

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 Samarasinghe 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.

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

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

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