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

Selvam, 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 Selvam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Selvam in America

Selvam is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Selvam surname appeared 172 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 Selvam.

The history of the last name Selvam

The surname "SELVAM" originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the Tamil-speaking regions of southern India and Sri Lanka. It traces its roots back to the ancient Dravidian language family, which has been prevalent in this region for millennia.

The name "SELVAM" is derived from the Tamil word "selvam," which translates to "wealth" or "prosperity." This suggests that the surname may have been initially bestowed upon individuals or families who were considered affluent or prosperous within their communities.

Historical records indicate that the surname "SELVAM" has been in use for several centuries. It is mentioned in various ancient Tamil literary works, inscriptions, and documents dating back to the medieval period, particularly during the reign of the Chola and Pandya dynasties, which ruled over significant portions of southern India between the 9th and 13th centuries CE.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "SELVAM" can be found in the renowned Tamil epic "Silappadikaram," composed by the celebrated poet Ilango Adigal around the 5th or 6th century CE. The epic features a character named "Selvam," which attests to the antiquity of the name.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname "SELVAM." One such figure was Selvam Ragunathan (1892-1944), a prominent Indian freedom fighter and political activist who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.

Another prominent bearer of the name was Selvam Velupillai (1866-1952), a renowned Tamil scholar, author, and educator who made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Tamil language and literature in the early 20th century.

In the field of arts and culture, K. Selvam (1930-2007) was a celebrated Tamil playwright and screenwriter, known for his thought-provoking works that explored social and political themes.

The name "SELVAM" has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations within the Tamil-speaking regions of India and Sri Lanka. For instance, the town of Selvamanadhai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is believed to have derived its name from the surname "SELVAM."

It is worth noting that variations and alternative spellings of the name "SELVAM" have also existed throughout history, such as "Selvam," "Chelvam," or "Chezhiyan," reflecting regional linguistic differences and variations within the Tamil language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Selvam

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

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

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

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