Viswanathan (Tamil: விசுவநாதன், romanized: Vicuvanātaṉ; Malayalam: വിശ്വനാഥൻ, romanized: Viśvanāthan) 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

See also

• All pages with titles containing Vishvanathan
• All pages with titles containing Visvanathan
• All pages with titles containing Vishwanathan
• All pages with titles containing Viswanatham
• All pages with titles containing Viswanathan