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

Subramanian, 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 Subramanian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Subramanian in America

Subramanian is the 9449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Subramanian surname appeared 3,443 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Subramanian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Subramanian 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 Subramanian

The surname Subramanian has its origins in India, dating back several centuries. It is a Tamil name derived from the combination of the Sanskrit words "su" meaning good or auspicious, "brahman" meaning the divine creator, and the suffix "iyan" denoting a belonging or association.

The earliest known references to the name can be traced to ancient Hindu texts and inscriptions from the 5th century CE in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by Brahmin families who performed sacred rituals and served as priests in Hindu temples.

In the 8th century CE, the Subramanian name appeared in copper plate inscriptions from the Pallava dynasty, which ruled large parts of southern India. One notable figure was Subramanian Dikshitar, a renowned composer of Carnatic music who lived between 1835 and 1897.

During the medieval period, the Subramanian name gained prominence among the Tamil Brahmin community, particularly in the regions of Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, and Madurai. Several Subramanian families were patrons of art, literature, and architecture, contributing to the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu.

In the 16th century, a Subramanian by the name of Govinda Dikshitar (1535-1616) was a notable scholar and philosopher who wrote extensively on Vedanta and Advaita Vedanta, the non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy.

Another illustrious figure was Subramanian Bharathi (1882-1921), a pioneering Tamil writer, poet, and independence activist who played a pivotal role in the Indian freedom struggle against British colonial rule.

Over time, the Subramanian name has spread beyond Tamil Nadu to other parts of India and across the globe through migration and diaspora communities. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Subramanian Swamy (born 1939), an Indian politician and former Cabinet minister, and Subramanian Ramadorai (born 1945), a former CEO of Tata Consultancy Services.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Subramanian

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

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

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

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