Explore the Family Name Shanmugam
The meaning of Shanmugam
Indian (Tamil Nadu): from a Tamil personal name meaning ‘six faces’, referring to the six-faced god Murugan, the Tamil god of war and victory (compare Arumugam). — 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.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shanmugam in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Shanmugam has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Shanmugam was ranked 73,412 in terms of popularity but jumped to 31,994 by 2010, marking an impressive growth rate of 56.42%. In terms of actual count, the number of individuals with the Shanmugam surname rose from 246 in 2000 to 721 in 2010, a substantial increase of 193.09%. This increase also influenced the proportion of individuals with this surname per 100k people which saw a growth of 166.67% from 0.09 to 0.24.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #73,412 | #31,994 | 56.42% |
| Count | 246 | 721 | 193.09% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.24 | 166.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shanmugam
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that the majority of individuals with the surname Shanmugam identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, this group accounted for 94.72% of all Shanmugams, increasing slightly to 95.56% by 2010. The percentage of those identifying with two or more races decreased from 2.44% in 2000 to 1.11% in 2010. The proportion of Shanmugams identifying as White also experienced a decrease from 2.03% to 1.80% over the same period. The Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories each reported negligible or zero representation among individuals with this surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 94.72% | 95.56% | 0.89% |
| White | 2.03% | 1.8% | -11.33% |
| Two or More Races | 2.44% | 1.11% | -54.51% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.69% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |