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

Viswanathan, 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 Viswanathan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Viswanathan in America

Viswanathan is the 20047th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Viswanathan surname appeared 1,334 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 Viswanathan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Viswanathan 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 Viswanathan

The surname Viswanathan originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Tamil Nadu region of southern India. It is derived from the Sanskrit words "Vishwa" meaning universe or world, and "Nath" meaning lord or master. The name can be translated to mean "Lord of the Universe" or "Master of the World".

The earliest recorded instances of the name Viswanathan can be traced back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures from the 5th century CE. It was often used as a title or honorific for Hindu deities, particularly Lord Shiva, who is considered the supreme lord of the universe in Hindu mythology.

In the 9th century CE, the name Viswanathan began to appear in inscriptions and copper plate grants issued by the Chola dynasty, one of the most powerful empires in southern India during that period. These inscriptions often referred to individuals with the title "Viswanathan" as scholars, priests, or high-ranking officials in the Chola court.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Viswanathan was Viswanathan Sankara, a renowned Hindu philosopher and theologian who lived in the 8th century CE. He is widely regarded as the founder of the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy and is credited with reviving and reforming Hinduism through his extensive writings and teachings.

Another notable figure with the surname Viswanathan was Viswanathan Ananthanarayan, a 17th-century Tamil scholar and poet who authored several literary works, including the epic poem "Madhuravijayam." He was also a prominent figure in the court of the Nayak rulers of Madurai, a major cultural center in Tamil Nadu during that period.

In the 20th century, Viswanathan Anand, born in 1969, rose to international fame as a chess grandmaster and five-time world chess champion. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time and has made significant contributions to the game through his innovative playing style and strategic insights.

Other notable individuals with the surname Viswanathan include Viswanathan Kasturi, a 20th-century journalist and editor who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement, and Viswanathan Annamalai, a prominent Indian industrialist and philanthropist who founded Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Viswanathan

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

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

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

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