Explore the Family Name Viswanathan
The meaning of Viswanathan
Indian (Kerala, Tamil Nadu): from a personal name derived from Sanskrit višvanātha ‘lord of the universe’ (from višva ‘universe’ + nātha ‘lord’), 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 Ramesh, Ravi, Bala, Kesava, Meera, Narayanan, Aparna, Ganesh, Kumar, Mahesh, Manoj, Mohan.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Viswanathan in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Viswanathan has seen a significant increase in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 29,696 in popularity with a count of 748 occurrences. By 2010, its rank had increased by 32.49% to become 20,047, and the count had risen by 78.34% to reach 1,334. The proportion per 100k also saw a substantial surge of 60.71%, growing from 0.28 in 2000 to 0.45 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,696 | #20,047 | 32.49% |
| Count | 748 | 1,334 | 78.34% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.45 | 60.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Viswanathan
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that the majority of people with the Viswanathan surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander. In 2000, this group made up 93.45% and increased slightly to 95.43% in 2010, marking a 2.12% change over the decade. The second largest group is those identifying with two or more races, which decreased from 3.74% in 2000 to 1.72% in 2010. The percentage of people identifying as White remained stable at around 2.4%. No Viswanathans identified as Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 93.45% | 95.43% | 2.12% |
| White | 2.41% | 2.4% | -0.41% |
| Two or More Races | 3.74% | 1.72% | -54.01% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |