Viswanathan ( ta, விசுவநாதன், translit=Vicuvanātaṉ; ml, വിശ്വനാഥൻ, translit=Viśvanāthan) is a male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

and Sri Lanka. Due to the South Indian tradition of using patronymic surnames it may also be a surname for males and females. It is of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

origin and derives from ''višvanatha'', meaning "lord of the universe" (from ''višva'', "universe" + ''natha'', "lord," an epithet of the god

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

), + the Tamil-Malayalam third-person masculine singular suffix -n.

Notable people

* A. K. Viswanathan, Indian police officer * Ashoke Viswanathan (born 1959), Indian film maker * Balasubramanian Viswanathan (born 1941), Indian material scientist * C. N. Visvanathan (born 1947), Indian politician *

G. Viswanathan Govindasamy Viswanathan, is the founder and chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology in India, was born on 8 December 1938 in a remote village in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.He served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of ...

(born 1938), founder and chancellor of VIT University in India * Geraldine Viswanathan (born 1995), Australian actress * Harish Viswanathan, American engineer *

Indira Viswanathan Peterson __NOTOC__ Indira may refer to: People * Indira (name) Films and books * ''Indira'', an 1873 novella by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee * ''Indira'' (film), directed by Suhasini Manirathnam * ''Indira'' (1989 film), a Hindi film (Hema malini as Indir ...

, Indian literary critic *

Janaki Vishwanathan Janaki Vishwanathan is an Indian film maker best known for her National Award-winning debut film '' Kutty'' (2001) in Tamil, which focuses on the issue of child labour. Her second film, ''Kanavu Meippada Vendum'', deals with the issues faced by ...

, Indian film maker * K. A. P. Viswanatham (1899–1994), Indian scholar * K. K. Viswanathan (1914-1992), Indian politician * K. R. Viswanathan, Indian politician * Kaavya Viswanathan (born 1987), Indian-American Harvard undergraduate student, noted for plagiarism in her 2006 novel *

Kaithapram Vishwanathan Namboothiri Kaithapram Vishwanathan Namboothiri (1963 – 29 December 2021) was an Indian musician and music director. He was awarded Kerala State Film Award for Best Background Music in 2001 for his background music for Kannaki (film), Kannaki. Life and ...

, Indian musician * Kanithi Viswanatham (born 1932), Indian politician *

Kasi Viswanathan Kasivishwanathan (born 28 January 1968) is an Indian film editor, who has worked on Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam language films. Career Kasivishwanathan entered films hoping to work as a cinematographer but failed to get opportunities, prompting ...

(born 1968), Indian film editor * M. S. Viswanathan (1928-2015), Tamil film music composer * Mahesh Viswanathan, American engineer * Mitraniketan Viswanathan (1928–2014), Indian social reformer * N. Viswanathan (1929–2010), Indian actor * N. K. Viswanathan (1941–2017), Indian film director * N. S. Vishwanathan (born 1958), Indian banker * Nikil Viswanathan (born 1987), American entrepreneur * P. Viswanathan, Indian politician *

Padma Viswanathan Padma Viswanathan (born 1968 Nelson, British Columbia) is a Canadian playwright and fiction writer. Life She graduated from University of Alberta, and received an MA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University in 2004 and an MFA from the ...

(born 1968), Canadian playwright * Paris Viswanathan (born 1940), Indian painter and film maker *

Poornam Viswanathan Poornam Viswanathan (15 November 1921 – 1 October 2008) was an Indian actor who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. He started performing on stage at age 18. He worked as a reader for All India Radio and went on to act in films such as ''C ...

(1921–2008), Indian actor * R. Viswanathan (born 1949), Indian politician *

Radha Viswanathan Radha Viswanathan (11 December 1934 – 2 January 2018) was an Indian vocalist and classical dancer. She performed extensively with her mother, Bharat Ratna Carnatic vocalist M. S. Subbulakshmi. Early life and career Born on 11 December 1934 ...

(1934–2018), Indian vocalist * Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan (1960–1999), Indian soldier *

Raman Viswanathan Raman Viswanathan (1899–1982) was an Indian chest physician, medical mycologist and pulmonologist, considered by many as the father of Chest Medicine in India. He was the founder director of Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, a postgraduate m ...

(1899–1982), Indian physician * Shiv Visvanathan, Indian academic *

Susan Visvanathan Susan Visvanathan (born 1957) is an Indian sociologist, social anthropologist and a fiction writer. She is well known for her writings on religious dialogue and sociology of religion. Her first book ''Christians of Kerala: History, Belief and Rit ...

(born 1957), Indian sociologist *

T. Viswanathan Tanjore Viswanathan (13 August 1927 – 10 September 2002) was a Carnatic musician specializing in the Carnatic flute and voice. Early life and background Viswa, as T. (Tanjore/Thanjavur) Viswanathan is often called, was born in Madras, I ...

(1927–2002), South Indian classical Carnatic flutist * T. K. Viswanathan (born 1948), Indian administrator * T. R. Viswanathan, American engineer *

V. Viswanathan Venkata Viswanathan (25 January 1909 – 16 January 1987) was an Indian Civil Service, ICS officer who served several gubernatorial tenures across several states of India. He was the Chief Commissioner of Bhopal from 1950 to 1952 and of List of l ...

(1909–1987), Indian politician *

Viswanathan Anand Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand (born 11 December 1969) is an Indian chess grandmaster and a former five-time World Chess Champion. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988, and is one of the few players to have surpassed an Elo rating o ...

(born 1969), World Chess Champion 2007-2013 * Visvanathan Dharmalingam (1918–1985), Sri Lankan politician * Viswanathan Kumaran (born 1966), Indian chemical engineer * Viswanathan Manikan (born 1951), Indian community activist * Viswanathan Raghunathan (born 1954), Indian academic * Viswanathan Ratnam (born 1932), Indian judge * V. Ravichandran (film producer), full name Viswanathan Ravichandran *

Visvanathan Rudrakumaran Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran ( ta, விசுவநாதன் உருத்ரகுமாரன்) is the prime minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, which aims to realize accountability for crimes against humanity, war cr ...

, Prime Minister of the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam * Viswanathan Shanta (1927–2021), Indian oncologist

Other uses

* A. R. C. Viswanathan College, arts and science college in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India *''

Justice Viswanathan ''Justice Viswanathan'' is a 1971 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language film, directed by G. R. Nathan, starring Ravichandran (Tamil actor), Ravichandran and Major Sundarrajan. It is a remake of the 1969 Hindi film ''Do Bhai (1969 film), Do Bhai ...

'', 1971 Indian Tamil language film *

K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College is a medical college started in 1997 and named after famous Tamil scholar K.A.P. Viswanatham. It started with a capacity to accommodate 100 Under graduate students. Since the year 2007, Post graduate courses ...

, medical college in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India *

Viswanatham Viswanatham is a panchayat town in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Demographics India census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given p ...

, town in Tamil Nadu, India *'' Viswanathan Ramamoorthy'', 2001 Indian Tamil film *'' Viswanathan Velai Venum'', a 1985 Indian Tamil film

Notable people

Other uses

See also