Explore the Family Name Raghavan
The meaning of Raghavan
Indian (Kerala, Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit rāghava ‘descendant of Raghu’ (an epithet of the god Rama, incarnation of Vishnu) + 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 Vijay, Ravi, Srikanth, Usha, Arun, Chitra, Dinesh, Hari, Murli, Padma, Prakash, Ragu.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Raghavan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Raghavan has gained popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked as the 34,150th most common surname, but by 2010, it had moved up to the 22,481st position, a significant increase of 34.17%. The number of individuals with this surname also rose dramatically from 628 in 2000 to 1,144 in 2010, marking an 82.17% surge. Consequently, the proportion of people named Raghavan per 100,000 increased by 69.57%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #34,150 | #22,481 | 34.17% |
| Count | 628 | 1,144 | 82.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.23 | 0.39 | 69.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Raghavan
Regarding the ethnicity linked to the surname Raghavan, data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census shows a predominant association with Asian/Pacific Islander heritage. In 2000, 93.95% of individuals with the Raghavan surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, and that figure slightly grew to 95.45% by 2010. The percentage of Raghavans identifying with two or more ethnicities dropped from 3.03% to 2.01%, while those identifying as White decreased from 2.87% to 1.84%. Notably, there was no change for Hispanic and Black identifications. Interestingly, by 2010, a small percentage (0.44%) of Raghavans identified as American Indian and Alaskan Native, a category that registered zero in the year 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 93.95% | 95.45% | 1.6% |
| Two or More Races | 3.03% | 2.01% | -33.66% |
| White | 2.87% | 1.84% | -35.89% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.44% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |