Explore the Family Name Balakrishnan
The meaning of Balakrishnan
Indian (Kerala and Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit bālakrṣṇa ‘child Krishna’ (from bāla ‘child’ + krṣṇa ‘Krishna’, the name of an incarnation of the god Vishnu, meaning ‘black’), + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n. — Note: Since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Arun, Ramesh, Sivakumar, Ashok, Govind, Karthik, Prasad, Sankaran, Sekar, Suresh, Usha, Anant.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Balakrishnan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Balakrishnan has significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the name ranked 38,079 in popularity and had 547 individuals bearing it. By 2010, its rank had jumped to 21,583 with a population increase of 121.02%, totaling 1,209 individuals. The proportion per 100,000 people also more than doubled from 0.2 to 0.41.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,079 | #21,583 | 43.32% |
| Count | 547 | 1,209 | 121.02% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.41 | 105% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Balakrishnan
Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of people with the Balakrishnan surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, this group accounted for 90.68% of all Balakrishnans, increasing to 94.54% by 2010. The percentage of Balakrishnans identifying as two or more races and white both decreased during this time period, going from 4.57% to 1.57% and 4.39% to 2.98% respectively. Notably, there was no change in the number of Balakrishnans identifying as Hispanic or Black. However, there was a small increase in those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, rising from 0% to 0.41%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 90.68% | 94.54% | 4.26% |
| White | 4.39% | 2.98% | -32.12% |
| Two or More Races | 4.57% | 1.57% | -65.65% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.41% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |