Explore the Family Name Iyengar
The meaning of Iyengar
Indian (Tamil Nadu): Brahmin name, from Tamil aiyangār, from aiyan ‘sage, priest, lord’ (from Sanskrit ārya ‘master’ or ‘father-in-law’) + the Telugu honorific plural suffix -gāru. The Telugu form of the word is ayyagāru, meaning ‘father, sir’. The Tamil word ayyan consists of the noun stem ayya + the masculine singular suffix -n. The Iyengar Brahmins are a prominent community from Tamil Nadu; they are votaries of the god Vishnu. Some characteristic forenames: Indian Arun, Krishna, Sampath, Vasuki, Giridhar, Murali, Raghu, Raj, Rama, Ranga, Rekha, Satish.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Iyengar in the United States?
According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Iyengar has notably increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 38,079th most popular surname, but by 2010 it jumped significantly to rank 25,924. The count of people with this surname also saw an impressive rise by approximately 73.31%, from 547 individuals in 2000 to 948 in 2010. This increase is further reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which grew by 60% from 0.2 to 0.32.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #38,079 | #25,924 | 31.92% |
| Count | 547 | 948 | 73.31% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.2 | 0.32 | 60% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Iyengar
The ethnic identity linked to the surname Iyengar, based on information from the Decennial U.S. Census, is predominantly Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for over 90% of individuals with this surname in both 2000 and 2010. This group saw a slight increase of 2.41% over the decade. Meanwhile, those identifying as belonging to two or more races decreased by 29.10%, and the portion who identified as White fell by 42.25%. No individuals with the surname Iyengar identified as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native during either of these census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 92.5% | 94.73% | 2.41% |
| Two or More Races | 4.02% | 2.85% | -29.1% |
| White | 3.29% | 1.9% | -42.25% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |