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

Thangaraj, 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 Thangaraj surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Thangaraj in America

Thangaraj is the 114424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Thangaraj surname appeared 153 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 Thangaraj.

The history of the last name Thangaraj

The surname THANGARAJ has its origins in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a Tamil name that traces its roots back to the medieval period, around the 9th or 10th century CE. The name is believed to be derived from the Tamil word "thangam," meaning gold, and "raj," meaning king or ruler.

THANGARAJ was likely a title given to individuals who held positions of authority or were associated with gold-related professions, such as goldsmiths or traders in precious metals. The earliest known references to this name can be found in ancient Tamil inscriptions and manuscripts from the Chola and Pandya dynasties, which ruled over various parts of Tamil Nadu between the 9th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name THANGARAJ appears in the Thanjavur inscriptions from the 10th century, where it is mentioned in connection with a local chieftain or village headman. Another notable mention is found in the Meenakshi Temple records from Madurai, dating back to the 13th century, where a person named THANGARAJ is listed as a donor or patron.

Throughout the centuries, the THANGARAJ surname has been associated with several prominent individuals, including Sri Thangaraj Chettiar (1876-1944), a renowned industrialist and philanthropist from Tamil Nadu who contributed significantly to the development of the region's textile industry. Another notable figure was Thangaraj Pandithar (1855-1920), a scholar, poet, and social reformer who played a crucial role in the Tamil Renaissance movement.

In the field of literature, the name THANGARAJ is linked to the Tamil writer and poet Thangaraj Vilayadhiraj (1901-1977), whose works explored themes of social justice and human rights. Additionally, Thangaraj Govindarajan (1916-1997) was a renowned Carnatic music vocalist and teacher, who was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Indian government for his contributions to music.

The THANGARAJ surname has also been associated with individuals from various other fields, such as politics, academia, and the arts, further solidifying its presence and importance in the cultural fabric of Tamil Nadu.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Thangaraj

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

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

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

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