Viswanathan (; ) is a male given name in South India 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 origin and derives from višvanatha, meaning "lord of the universe" (from višva, "universe" + natha, "lord," an epithet of the god Shiva), + 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 (born 1938), founder and chancellor of VIT University in India Geraldine Viswanathan (born 1995), Australian actress Harish Viswanathan, American engineer Indira Viswanathan Peterson, Indian literary critic Janaki Vishwanathan, 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, Indian musician Kanithi Viswanatham (1932–2023), Indian politician Kasi Viswanathan (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 P. Viswanathan, Indian politician Padma Viswanathan (born 1968), Canadian playwright Paris Viswanathan (born 1940), Indian painter and film maker Poornam Viswanathan (1921–2008), Indian actor R. Viswanathan (born 1949), Indian politician Radha Viswanathan (1934–2018), Indian vocalist Ramakrishnan Vishwanathan (1960–1999), Indian soldier Raman Viswanathan (1899–1982), Indian physician Shiv Visvanathan, Indian academic Susan Visvanathan (born 1957), Indian sociologist T. Viswanathan (1927–2002), South Indian classical Carnatic flutist T. K. Viswanathan (born 1948), Indian administrator T. R. Viswanathan, American engineer V. Viswanathan (1909–1987), Indian politician Viswanathan Anand (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 (1932–2020), Indian judge V. Ravichandran (film producer), full name Viswanathan Ravichandran Visvanathan Rudrakumaran, 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, 1971 Indian Tamil language film K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College, medical college in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India Viswanatham, town in Tamil Nadu, India Viswanathan Ramamoorthy, 2001 Indian Tamil film Viswanathan Velai Venum, a 1985 Indian Tamil film
See also