Abdal last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Abdal is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Abdal.

Meaning of Abdal

A surname of Arabic origin meaning "servant" or "devotee," often indicating a pious or holy person.

Abdal, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Abdal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Abdal in America

Abdal is the 105600th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Abdal surname appeared 169 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Abdal.

The history of the last name Abdal

The surname Abdal is of Arabic origin and is derived from the word "abdal," which means "substitutes" or "those who replace." This name has its roots in Islamic tradition, where it was used to refer to a group of righteous individuals believed to be the substitutes of God on Earth.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Abdal can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of the Islamic caliphate. It is believed that this name was first adopted by individuals who were part of the Sufi spiritual tradition, where the concept of the "abdal" held significant importance.

One of the earliest known references to the name Abdal can be found in the writings of the famous Sufi scholar and poet, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (1207-1273 CE). In his works, Rumi often mentioned the concept of the "abdal" and their role in maintaining spiritual balance in the world.

Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Abdal. One such individual was Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (1077-1166 CE), a renowned Sufi saint and the founder of the Qadiri order. Another prominent figure was Abdal Hakim Arwasi (1516-1605 CE), a Muslim scholar and poet who lived in the Ottoman Empire.

In the 13th century, the name Abdal appeared in several Persian manuscripts, indicating its presence in the region at that time. The Persian poet and mystic, Farid ud-Din Attar (1145-1221 CE), mentioned the concept of the "abdal" in his famous work, "The Conference of the Birds."

In the Indian subcontinent, the surname Abdal was associated with various Sufi orders and spiritual lineages. One notable figure was Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (1141-1236 CE), the founder of the Chishti order of Sufism, who was also known as Gharib Nawaz or the "Protector of the Poor."

Another noteworthy individual with the surname Abdal was Seyyed Abdal Hussain Shah (1702-1783 CE), a prominent Sufi saint and the founder of the Sarwari Qadri order in present-day Pakistan. His spiritual teachings and writings had a significant impact on the region.

While the surname Abdal is primarily associated with the Muslim world, it has also been adopted by individuals from other religious backgrounds, particularly in regions where Islamic influence has been prominent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Abdal

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Abdal.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Abdal was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.02% 142
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 13.02% 22
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 0.00% 0

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Abdal was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Abdal, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Abdal last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/abdal-surname-popularity/.

"Abdal last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/abdal-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Abdal last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/abdal-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.