Explore the Family Name Natarajan
The meaning of Natarajan
Indian (Kerala, Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit naṭarāja ‘king of dancers’ (from naṭa ‘dancer’ + rāja ‘king’, an epithet of the god Shiva) + 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 Murali, Raj, Ganesh, Senthil, Siva, Raju, Shiva, Subramanian, Sundar, Swaminathan, Balu, Chandra.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Natarajan in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Natarajan has seen a notable increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 23,903rd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 14,761st position — a considerable change of 38.25%. The number of individuals with this surname more than doubled during this decade, going from 986 people in 2000 to 2,012 in 2010. This resulted in an 83.78% increase in the proportion per 100,000 people.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,903 | #14,761 | 38.25% |
| Count | 986 | 2,012 | 104.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.37 | 0.68 | 83.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Natarajan
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Natarajan is predominantly Asian/Pacific Islander, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In 2000, 92.39% of those with this surname identified as such, while in 2010, this percentage slightly increased to 94.18%. There's been a decrease among those identifying with two or more races and those who identify as White - they went down by 27.96% and 23.48% respectively. Interestingly, the 2010 census reported a small percentage (0.30%) of people with this surname identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, which was not recorded in 2000. The percentages of those identifying as Hispanic and Black remained unchanged at 0%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 92.39% | 94.18% | 1.94% |
| White | 3.96% | 3.03% | -23.48% |
| Two or More Races | 3.04% | 2.19% | -27.96% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.3% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |