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

Senanayake, 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 Senanayake surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Senanayake in America

Senanayake is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Senanayake surname appeared 121 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 Senanayake.

The history of the last name Senanayake

The surname Senanayake originates from Sri Lanka and has its roots in the Sinhalese language. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period on the island, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name Senanayake is derived from the Sinhalese words "sena" meaning army or military, and "nayaka" signifying a leader or commander. This suggests that the surname was initially bestowed upon individuals who held prominent military positions or were part of the warrior class during the era of the Sinhalese kingdoms.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Senanayake surname can be found in ancient Sinhalese literary works and chronicles, such as the Culavamsa, which dates back to the 13th century. These texts mention individuals with the title "Senanayake," indicating their role as military leaders or commanders.

In the 16th century, during the Portuguese colonial period in Sri Lanka, historical records mention a prominent figure named Senanayake Mudiyanse, who led resistance efforts against the Portuguese forces. He is considered one of the earliest known individuals to bear the Senanayake surname.

Another notable figure in Sri Lankan history with the Senanayake surname was Don Stephen Senanayake (1884-1952), who played a pivotal role in the country's independence movement and became the first Prime Minister of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1947.

Other influential figures with the Senanayake surname include Dudley Senanayake (1911-1973), who served as Prime Minister of Ceylon from 1965 to 1970, and Rukman Senanayake (1933-2020), a prominent politician and former Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Throughout the centuries, the Senanayake surname has been associated with various noble families and clans in Sri Lanka, particularly those with a strong military or political background. While the spelling may have varied slightly in ancient texts, the core meaning and significance of the name have remained largely unchanged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Senanayake

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

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

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

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