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

Santhanam, 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 Santhanam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Santhanam in America

Santhanam is the 53802nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Santhanam surname appeared 384 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 Santhanam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Santhanam 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 Santhanam

The surname Santhanam originates from the Indian subcontinent, with its roots tracing back to the Tamil language spoken in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The name is derived from the combination of two Tamil words, "Santhanam" meaning "tranquility" or "peace," and "am," which is a possessive suffix indicating belonging or association.

Historically, the Santhanam surname has been prevalent among the Tamil Brahmin community, which has played a significant role in shaping the cultural and literary traditions of the region. The earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in ancient Tamil literary works dating back to the Sangam period (300 BCE – 300 CE), where scholars and poets with the Santhanam surname were highly respected for their contributions to Tamil literature and philosophy.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Santhanam surname was Auvvaiyar, a renowned Tamil poet and ethical writer who lived during the Sangam era. Her iconic work, "Auvvaiyar Nalvazhi," a compilation of moral and ethical teachings, has been widely studied and revered for centuries. Another notable figure was Thiruvalluvar, the author of the celebrated Tamil literary work "Thirukkural," believed to have lived between the 4th and 6th century CE. His surname, Thiruvalluvar, is often attributed to the Santhanam lineage.

In the medieval period, the Santhanam surname gained prominence among the Tamil scholars and philosophers associated with the Bhakti movement, a spiritual and devotional renaissance that swept across South India. One such figure was Thirunavukkarasar Santhanam (1474-1564), a revered Tamil poet and mystic who composed numerous devotional hymns and verses that are still widely celebrated today.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, as the Tamil literary tradition flourished under the patronage of the Nayak and Vijayanagara empires, several scholars and writers with the Santhanam surname made significant contributions. Notably, Muthuswami Dikshitar Santhanam (1775-1835), a renowned composer of Carnatic music and one of the celebrated Trinity of Carnatic music, hailed from the Santhanam lineage.

In more recent history, the Santhanam surname has been associated with individuals who have excelled in various fields, such as arts, literature, and cinema. Gemini Ganesan Santhanam (1919-2005), a legendary Tamil actor and film producer, was a prominent figure in the Tamil film industry, while R. Santhanam (1892-1980), a Tamil writer and scholar, made significant contributions to Tamil literature and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Santhanam

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

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

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

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