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

Vaishnav, 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 Vaishnav surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vaishnav in America

Vaishnav is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vaishnav surname appeared 219 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 Vaishnav.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vaishnav 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 Vaishnav

The surname VAISHNAV originated from the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It traces its roots back to the ancient Sanskrit language, where "Vishnu" was one of the principal Hindu deities, and "Nava" signified devotion or reverence. Thus, the name VAISHNAV essentially means "a devotee or worshipper of Lord Vishnu."

This surname has a long and storied history, with its earliest known references dating back to the 7th century CE. It is believed to have been adopted by families who were ardent followers of the Vaishnava tradition, a prominent branch of Hinduism that revered Lord Vishnu as the supreme deity.

One of the earliest known mentions of the VAISHNAV surname can be found in the writings of the revered Hindu philosopher and scholar, Adi Shankara, who lived between 788 and 820 CE. He referred to a group of ascetics who were devoted to the worship of Lord Vishnu, calling them "Vaishnavas."

In the 11th century, the VAISHNAV surname gained further prominence with the rise of the Bhakti movement, a spiritual renaissance that emphasized devotional worship and love for the divine. Many prominent saints and mystics from this era, such as Ramanuja (1017-1137 CE) and Madhvacharya (1238-1317 CE), were known as Vaishnavas and played a significant role in shaping the philosophy and practices of the Vaishnava tradition.

Throughout the medieval period, the VAISHNAV surname was closely associated with the Vaishnava community, which flourished across various regions of India. Notable figures who bore this surname include the 16th-century saint and poet, Surdas (1478-1584 CE), whose compositions were dedicated to Lord Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu.

In the 18th century, the VAISHNAV surname gained further recognition with the rise of the Gaudiya Vaishnava movement, founded by the renowned saint and mystic, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533 CE). This movement has had a lasting impact on the spiritual and cultural fabric of Bengal and other parts of eastern India.

Other notable individuals who carried the VAISHNAV surname include the 19th-century Hindu reformist and social activist, Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1824-1883 CE), who played a pivotal role in the revitalization of Hinduism and the establishment of the Arya Samaj movement.

In more recent times, the VAISHNAV surname has been borne by several prominent figures, such as the Indian classical dancer and choreographer, Vyjayanthimala Bali (born 1936), and the Indian cricketer, Cheteshwar Pujara (born 1988).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vaishnav

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

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

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

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