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

Viswanath, 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 Viswanath surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Viswanath in America

Viswanath is the 75317th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Viswanath surname appeared 256 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 Viswanath.

We can also compare 2010 data for Viswanath 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 Viswanath

The surname Viswanath has its origins in India, specifically in the Sanskrit language. The name is derived from the combination of two Sanskrit words: 'Vishwa,' meaning 'universe' or 'cosmos,' and 'Nath,' meaning 'Lord' or 'Master.' Hence, the name Viswanath can be translated as 'Lord of the Universe' or 'Master of the Cosmos.'

This name has deep roots in Hindu mythology and is closely associated with the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, who is revered as the Supreme Being and the Ruler of the Universe. The name Viswanath is often used as an epithet for Lord Shiva, particularly in reference to his manifestation as the cosmic dancer, Nataraja.

The earliest known references to the name Viswanath can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Puranas and the Upanishads, which contain numerous references to Lord Shiva and his various names and forms. One of the most famous temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Viswanath Temple, is located in the holy city of Varanasi (also known as Kashi or Banaras) in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Viswanath. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sri Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur (1485-1584), a revered saint and spiritual leader from Bengal, who played a significant role in the Vaishnava Bhakti movement.

Another prominent figure was Swami Viswanath Saraswati (1661-1748), a renowned Hindu scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the Advaita Vedanta school of thought. His works, such as the 'Bhashya Ratna Prabha,' are still widely studied and revered.

In more recent times, Pandit Viswanath Sastri (1846-1919) was a celebrated Sanskrit scholar and author from Andhra Pradesh, who wrote extensively on Hindu philosophy, culture, and literature.

Viswanath Anand (born 1969) is a renowned Indian chess grandmaster and former world chess champion, who has brought great honor to the name Viswanath through his exceptional achievements in the world of competitive chess.

Lastly, Viswanath Pratap Singh (1837-1896) was a prominent Indian ruler and statesman who served as the Maharaja of the princely state of Rewa from 1876 until his death. He was known for his progressive reforms and efforts to modernize his state.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Viswanath

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

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

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

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