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

Afshar, 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 Afshar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Afshar in America

Afshar is the 23675th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Afshar surname appeared 1,070 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 Afshar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Afshar to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Afshar

The surname Afshar has its origins in Iran, with roots that can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Persian word "Afshar," which refers to a Turkic tribal group that settled in various regions of Iran, particularly in the provinces of Kerman and Yazd.

During the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736), the Afshar tribe gained prominence as they played a significant role in the military campaigns and political affairs of the empire. One notable figure from this period was Nader Shah Afshar (1688-1747), a renowned military leader who rose to become the Shah of Iran, establishing the short-lived Afsharid dynasty.

The earliest known records of the Afshar surname can be found in historical documents and chronicles from the Safavid era. These manuscripts often mentioned prominent individuals bearing the name, such as military commanders, governors, and officials who served under the Safavid rulers.

In addition to Nader Shah Afshar, other notable historical figures with the Afshar surname include Amir Khan Afshar (1693-1748), a military leader and nephew of Nader Shah, who played a crucial role in the conquest of Delhi during the Afsharid invasion of India. Another prominent figure was Ebrahim Khan Afshar (1815-1890), a influential military commander and governor during the Qajar dynasty.

The Afshar surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Iran, such as Afshar Village in Kerman Province and Afshar District in Yazd Province. These place names likely derived from the settlements established by members of the Afshar tribe in those regions.

Other notable individuals with the Afshar surname include Sohrab Afshar (1889-1973), an Iranian painter and sculptor who played a significant role in the development of modern art in Iran, and Samad Afshar (1919-2008), a respected Iranian linguist and scholar of Persian literature.

It is important to note that while the Afshar surname has its roots in Iran, individuals bearing this name can be found in various parts of the world today, as a result of migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Afshar

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

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 Afshar was:

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.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Afshar has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Afshar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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