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

Siva, 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 Siva surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Siva in America

Siva is the 46037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Siva surname appeared 463 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 Siva.

We can also compare 2010 data for Siva 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 Siva

The surname SIVA is of Indian origin, with its roots dating back to ancient times. It is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit word "Shiva," which means "auspicious" or "the one who provides well-being." The name is closely associated with the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism.

SIVA is a common surname found predominantly in South India, particularly in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. The name has been in existence for centuries, and its earliest recorded instances can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions from the 4th century CE.

One of the earliest known references to the surname SIVA can be found in the Sangam literature, a collection of Tamil literary works dating back to the early centuries CE. The name appears in various forms, such as Sivanar, Sivayar, and Sivacharyar, indicating its long-standing presence in the region.

In the 7th century CE, the name SIVA gained prominence with the rise of the Pallava dynasty, a prominent ruling family in South India. Several rulers and influential figures from this dynasty bore the name, including the renowned king Narasimhavarman I (630-668 CE), who was also known as Shiva-Narayanaswami.

Another notable figure associated with the surname SIVA is the 12th-century Hindu philosopher and scholar Adi Shankara (788-820 CE), also known as Shankara Bhagavatpada. He was a prominent proponent of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and is credited with reviving Hinduism during a period of decline.

During the medieval period, the name SIVA was also found among the Vijayanagar Empire rulers, such as Krishnadevaraya (1509-1529 CE), who was a celebrated king and patron of arts and literature. The Vijayanagar Empire was a major Hindu empire that ruled a significant portion of South India from the 14th to the 16th century.

In more recent times, the name SIVA has been carried by several prominent figures, including the renowned Indian dancer and choreographer Siva Venkatesan (1907-1984), who played a crucial role in popularizing and preserving classical Indian dance forms like Bharatanatyam.

It is important to note that the surname SIVA has several variations and alternative spellings, such as Shiva, Sivaraj, Sivakumar, and Sivagnanam, among others. These variations often reflect regional and linguistic differences within India, but they all share a common origin and meaning rooted in the Sanskrit word "Shiva."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Siva

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Siva, 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!