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

Vyas, 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 Vyas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vyas in America

Vyas is the 9912th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vyas surname appeared 3,259 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Vyas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vyas 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 Vyas

The surname VYAS originated from India, with its roots dating back to ancient Sanskrit texts from around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Vyasa," meaning "compiler" or "arranger," referring to the legendary Hindu sage who is credited with compiling the sacred Hindu scriptures, the Vedas.

The VYAS surname is predominantly found among the Brahmin community, which is the highest caste in the Hindu social hierarchy. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by families belonging to the Brahmin caste who claimed descent from the great sage Vyasa or were involved in the study and transmission of the Vedas.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name VYAS can be found in the Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic that dates back to around the 4th century BCE. In this text, Vyasa is described as the author and compiler of the Mahabharata itself, as well as the eighteen Puranas (ancient Hindu texts).

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname VYAS. One of the most famous was Vatsyayana Mallanaga Vatsyayana (circa 3rd-5th century CE), the celebrated author of the Kama Sutra, a treatise on human sexual behavior and relationships.

Another significant figure was Rishi Valmiki (circa 5th century BCE), the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana. According to tradition, Valmiki was a contemporary of Vyasa and is believed to have been a disciple of the sage.

In the 9th century CE, Vasugupta (860-925 CE), also known as Vasugupta Vyas, was a renowned Hindu philosopher and mystic who contributed significantly to the development of the Kashmir Shaivism tradition.

During the medieval period, Madhvacharya (1238-1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajña or Vadiraja Tirtha, was a prominent Hindu philosopher and the founder of the Dvaita Vedanta school of philosophy. He was also referred to as Vyasa Tirtha due to his profound knowledge of the Vedas.

In more recent times, Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), the famous Hindu monk and spiritual leader, was born as Narendranath Datta into a family with the surname VYAS, although he later adopted the monastic name Vivekananda.

The surname VYAS has been associated with various place names throughout India, particularly in regions where the Brahmin community has had a strong presence, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. However, it is important to note that the surname's origins predate the formation of many modern-day place names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vyas

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

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

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

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