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

Shanmugam, 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 Shanmugam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shanmugam in America

Shanmugam is the 31994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shanmugam surname appeared 721 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 Shanmugam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shanmugam 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 Shanmugam

The surname "SHANMUGAM" has its origins in Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, dating back to the 15th century or earlier. It is derived from the Tamil word "Shanmugam," which is a combination of two words: "Shan" meaning "six" and "Mugam" meaning "faces" or "aspects." This name is associated with Lord Murugan, the Hindu deity revered as the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, who is believed to have six different faces or forms.

The earliest known records of the name "SHANMUGAM" can be traced back to various Hindu temple inscriptions and manuscripts from the Vijayanagar Empire, which ruled over parts of southern India between the 14th and 17th centuries. The name was commonly found among Tamil Brahmin communities, who were closely associated with Hindu temples and religious practices.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "SHANMUGAM" was Shanmugam Pillai, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 16th century during the reign of the Vijayanagar Empire. His works, which included religious texts and poetic compositions, are considered valuable literary contributions to Tamil literature.

Another notable figure was Shanmugam Mudaliar, a influential merchant and banker who lived in the 18th century in the city of Madras (now Chennai). He played a significant role in facilitating trade and commerce between the British East India Company and local rulers.

In the 19th century, Shanmugam Chetty, a prominent landowner and philanthropist, was known for his contributions to education and social welfare. He established several educational institutions and supported various charitable causes in his region.

During the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, Shanmugam Pillai was a freedom fighter and advocate for social reforms. He actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and was imprisoned for his involvement in the struggle against British rule.

More recently, Shanmugam Ratnam, a renowned artist and sculptor, gained recognition for his intricate and intricate sculptures depicting Hindu deities and mythological themes. His works have been exhibited in galleries and museums across India and abroad.

While the surname "SHANMUGAM" has its roots in Tamil Nadu, it has spread to other parts of India and even to other countries due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance and connection to Tamil culture and Hindu traditions remain deeply embedded in its origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shanmugam

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!