Explore the Family Name Narayanan
The meaning of Narayanan
Indian (Kerala, Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit nārāyaṇa (an epithet of Vishnu; see Narayan) + 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 Ram, Ramesh, Ravi, Suresh, Manoj, Hari, Lakshmi, Mahesh, Murali, Suriya, Vijay, Anand.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Narayanan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Narayanan has seen a marked increase in popularity over time. In 2000, it ranked 22,174 and rose to 13,815 by 2010, representing a change of 37.7%. The count of individuals with this surname also more than doubled from 1,087 in 2000 to 2,188 in 2010, marking an impressive growth rate of over 101%. Furthermore, the representation of this surname per 100,000 people in the U.S. population grew by 85%, from 0.4 in 2000 to 0.74 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,174 | #13,815 | 37.7% |
| Count | 1,087 | 2,188 | 101.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.4 | 0.74 | 85% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Narayanan
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the Narayanan surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that the majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, increasing from 93.74% in 2000 to 95.29% in 2010. Meanwhile, those who identify with two or more races decreased by about 52%, from 2.85% to 1.37%. There was a slight decrease in those identifying as White, down 10.86% from 2.67% to 2.38%. Notably, there were no individuals with the Narayanan surname identifying as Hispanic, while those identifying as Black appeared for the first time in 2010 at 0.46%. The proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native identification dropped entirely from 0.46% in 2000 to zero in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 93.74% | 95.29% | 1.65% |
| White | 2.67% | 2.38% | -10.86% |
| Two or More Races | 2.85% | 1.37% | -51.93% |
| Black | 0% | 0.46% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.46% | 0% | 0% |