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

Venkatachalam, 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 Venkatachalam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Venkatachalam in America

Venkatachalam is the 54637th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Venkatachalam surname appeared 377 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 Venkatachalam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Venkatachalam 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 Venkatachalam

The surname "VENKATACHALAM" originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. It is a combination of two words, "Venkata" and "Achalam," which together mean "the immovable hill" or "the immovable mountain."

This surname has its roots in the ancient Hindu tradition of naming individuals after deities or sacred places. The name "Venkata" is derived from the Sanskrit word "Venkatadri," which refers to the sacred hill of Lord Venkateshwara, a prominent deity worshipped in the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple located in the town of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.

The earliest known references to this surname can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various temple inscriptions and administrative records from the Vijayanagara Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of southern India during that period. One such reference is found in the Aravidu dynastic records, which mention a minister named Venkatachalam serving under the reign of King Rama Raya (1512-1529).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname gained prominence among the Brahmin communities of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, particularly those associated with the Vaishnavite tradition. Several renowned scholars, poets, and religious figures from this period bore the surname "Venkatachalam," including the celebrated poet Bhattatiri Venkatachalam (1650-1720), who composed numerous works in praise of Lord Venkateshwara.

Another notable figure was Swami Venkatachalam (1780-1850), a revered spiritual leader and philosopher from Tamil Nadu, who established several educational institutions and promoted the revival of Hindu traditions and values.

In the 19th century, the surname was carried by several prominent individuals, such as Venkatachalam Iyer (1818-1892), a renowned Tamil scholar and grammarian, and Venkatachalam Pillai (1825-1899), a pioneering social reformer and advocate for women's education in Tamil Nadu.

During the 20th century, several individuals with the surname "Venkatachalam" made significant contributions in various fields, including Venkatachalam Iyer (1897-1963), a prominent lawyer and freedom fighter who played a crucial role in India's independence movement, and Venkatachalam Ramaswami (1920-1987), a renowned physicist and academic who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.

While the surname "Venkatachalam" has its origins in southern India, it has since spread to other parts of the country and even to the global Indian diaspora, reflecting the migration and cultural exchange that has occurred throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Venkatachalam

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

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

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

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