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

Aftab, 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 Aftab surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Aftab in America

Aftab is the 43732nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Aftab surname appeared 493 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 Aftab.

We can also compare 2010 data for Aftab 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 Aftab

The surname Aftab has its origins in the Persian language. It is believed to have emerged during the Achaemenid Empire period, which ruled over the Persian territories from the 6th to 4th centuries BCE. The name Aftab is derived from the Persian word "Āftāb," which means "sun" or "sunlight."

In ancient Persian culture, the sun held significant symbolic importance, representing life, warmth, and radiance. As a result, names associated with the sun were often bestowed upon individuals, reflecting the desire for their lives to be illuminated and blessed with prosperity.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Aftab can be found in the Shahnameh, an epic poem written by the celebrated Persian poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century CE. The poem mentions a character named Aftab, indicating the longstanding use of this name in Persian society.

During the medieval period, the surname Aftab gained prominence among Persian nobility and scholars. Notable individuals bearing this name include Aftab al-Din Yahya ibn Habash Suhrawardi, a renowned Persian philosopher and mystic who lived from 1154 to 1191 CE, and Aftab al-Din Mohammad Khwarzmi, a 13th-century Persian astronomer and mathematician.

As the Persian Empire expanded and interacted with other cultures, the surname Aftab also found its way into neighboring regions, such as South Asia and Central Asia. In India, for instance, the surname Aftab is found among Muslim communities with Persian ancestry, particularly in regions like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Aftab in South Asia is from the Mughal era, when a notable figure named Aftab Khan served as a military commander under the emperor Akbar in the 16th century. Another prominent individual with this surname was Aftab Rai, a 17th-century Indian poet and scholar from Awadh, who wrote extensively in Persian and Hindi.

In more recent times, the surname Aftab has been carried by several notable individuals, including Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, a Pakistani politician and former federal minister, and Aftab Iqbal, a Pakistani cricket player who represented the national team in the 1990s.

Overall, the surname Aftab is deeply rooted in Persian culture and history, with its origins dating back to ancient times. Its association with the sun and its symbolic significance have contributed to its enduring presence across various regions and cultures influenced by Persian civilization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Aftab

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

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

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

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