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

Sundara, 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 Sundara surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sundara in America

Sundara is the 54055th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sundara surname appeared 382 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 Sundara.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sundara 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 Sundara

The surname SUNDARA is of Indian origin, specifically from the Tamil language spoken in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The name can be traced back to the 6th century CE, when it was derived from the Sanskrit word "sundara," meaning beautiful or charming.

During the medieval period, the name SUNDARA was commonly found in Tamil inscriptions and literature, indicating its widespread use among the Tamil people. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the 7th-century Veeranarayana inscription, where it is mentioned as the surname of a prominent scholar and poet.

In the 9th century, the famous Tamil poet and philosopher Sundara Murthy, also known as Sundara Azhvar, was born in the town of Azhwar Thirunagari. His literary works, such as the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, had a significant impact on Tamil literature and culture.

The SUNDARA surname gained further prominence during the reign of the Chola dynasty, which ruled over large parts of southern India from the 9th to the 13th century. Several Chola kings and nobles bore the name SUNDARA, including the renowned monarch Raja Raja Chola I, who ruled from 985 to 1014 CE and was responsible for the construction of the magnificent Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur.

In the 13th century, the Tamil philosopher and mystic Sundara Murti, also known as Sundara Swami, was highly revered for his spiritual teachings and contributions to the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition. His works, such as the Vachana Sastra, had a profound influence on Tamil culture and philosophy.

Another notable figure with the SUNDARA surname was the 16th-century Tamil scholar and poet Venkata Krishnappa Nayaka, also known as Sundara Kavi. His literary works, including the Sundara Pandya Katha, were widely acclaimed and contributed to the preservation of Tamil literature during the Nayak dynasty's rule over the Tamil region.

As the SUNDARA surname spread across different regions of India, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as Sundaraj, Sundarrajan, and Sundaram. However, the core meaning of the name, which signifies beauty and charm, remained unchanged throughout its long history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sundara

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

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

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