Explore the Family Name Rajagopal
The meaning of Rajagopal
Indian (southern states): from a personal name based on Sanskrit rājagopāla ‘king of cowherds’, from rāja ‘king’ + gopāla ‘cowherd’. This is an epithet of the Hindu god Krishna, who is said to have been brought up among cowherds. Among Tamil and Malayalam speakers who have migrated from their home states, it is a variant of Rajagopalan. — 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 Ramesh, Arun, Asha, Ganesh, Srinivasan, Sumanth, Usha, Vinayak, Ajay, Amu, Archana, Arjun.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Rajagopal in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Rajagopal has significantly increased in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 48,567th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 28,883rd position, representing a change of 40.53%. Additionally, the count of individuals with this surname more than doubled from 408 in 2000 to 823 in 2010, an increase of 101.72%. The proportion of those with the surname Rajagopal per 100,000 people also saw a substantial rise from 0.15 to 0.28, reflecting an 86.67% surge.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48,567 | #28,883 | 40.53% |
| Count | 408 | 823 | 101.72% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.28 | 86.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Rajagopal
Concerning ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Rajagopal identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. This group rose slightly from 91.18% in 2000 to 93.20% in 2010, showing a 2.22% increase. Those identifying as two or more ethnicities decreased by 23.38%, from 5.39% to 4.13%. Individuals who identified as White also fell from 2.94% to 1.82%, a drop of 38.10%. There were no reported changes for Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnic identities over the ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 91.18% | 93.2% | 2.22% |
| Two or More Races | 5.39% | 4.13% | -23.38% |
| White | 2.94% | 1.82% | -38.1% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |