Explore the Family Name Shankar
The meaning of Shankar
Indian (southern states): from a personal name based on Sanskrit šankara ‘happiness or prosperity’ (from šam ‘happiness, prosperity’ + -kara ‘causing’). This is an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva. Among people who have migrated from Kerala and Tamil Nadu it is a variant of Sankaran. Compare Sankar. — 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 Ravi, Uday, Vijay, Hari, Vidya, Raj, Amitabh, Arun, Gowri, Manoj, Natarajan, Rama.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shankar in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Shankar has markedly increased in the U.S. between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked 19,629 among all surnames but climbed to rank 14,111 by 2010, a significant jump of 28.11%. The count of individuals with the Shankar surname also rose by 67.58% during this period, from 1,271 to 2,130. Consequently, the proportion of Shankars per 100,000 people in the U.S. population grew by 53.19%, from 0.47 to 0.72.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #19,629 | #14,111 | 28.11% |
| Count | 1,271 | 2,130 | 67.58% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.47 | 0.72 | 53.19% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shankar
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that a majority of individuals with the surname Shankar identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, accounting for 88.97% in 2010, up from 85.68% in 2000. Those identifying with two or more races declined sharply from 10.23% to 5.54% between 2000 and 2010. While a small proportion of Shankars identified as White (3.52% in 2010, up from 2.75% in 2000) and Hispanic (0.94% in 2010, down from 1.10% in 2000), other ethnic identities such as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native emerged in the 2010 data, at 0.66% and 0.38% respectively, whereas they were not represented in the 2000 data.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 85.68% | 88.97% | 3.84% |
| Two or More Races | 10.23% | 5.54% | -45.85% |
| White | 2.75% | 3.52% | 28% |
| Hispanic | 1.1% | 0.94% | -14.55% |
| Black | 0% | 0.66% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.38% | 0% |