# Viswanathan

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