Ramanathan (Tamil: ராமநாதன்) is a South Indian name. The name is derived from Rama (a Hindu god) and the Sanskrit word nath, meaning "lord." The name Ramanathan is given to the Hindu god Shiva at Rameshwaram, one of the southernmost towns in India. Hindus believe that Lord Rama worshipped Shiva before beginning his journey to Lanka; hence "Lord of Rama."
Individuals with this name include:
- Ramanathan Krishnan, Indian tennis player
- Annamalai Ramanathan, Indian mathematician working in algebraic geometry
- Kollagunta Gopalaiyer Ramanathan, Indian mathematician working in analytic number theory
- Leelawathy Ramanathan, Australia-born writer and wife of Ponnambalam Ramanathan
- M. D. Ramanathan, Indian Carnatic composer and vocalist
- S. Ramanathan, Indian Carnatic singer and musicologist
- Sellapan Ramanathan, president of Singapore
- Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Solicitor-General and Tamil political leader in Sri Lanka
- Veerabhadran Ramanathan, Indian climatologist