Viswanathan

Viswanathan (விசுவநாதன்; വിശ്വനാഥൻ) 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
 * Nikil Viswanathan (born 1987), American entrepreneur
 * 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