Find out how popular the last name Afzali is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Afzali.
Of Persian origin, indicating someone from the Afzal region or descended from a person named Afzal.
Afzali, 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 Afzali surname is from the 2010 census data.
Afzali is the 61297th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Afzali surname appeared 328 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 Afzali.
We can also compare 2010 data for Afzali 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 61297 | 67522 | -9.66% |
Count | 328 | 273 | 18.30% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.10 | 9.52% |
The surname AFZALI has its origins in Persia, now modern-day Iran, and can be traced back to the 10th century AD. It is derived from the Persian word "afzal," which means "superior" or "excellent." The name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to individuals who were considered outstanding or exceptional in some way.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name AFZALI can be found in a collection of Persian poetry from the 11th century. The poet Afzali Kashanī, who lived in the city of Kashan during this period, is believed to be one of the first individuals to bear this surname.
In the 13th century, the name AFZALI appeared in the writings of the famous Persian poet and philosopher, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. Rumi mentioned an individual named Afzali in his masterpiece, the Masnavi, suggesting that the name was well-established in Persia by that time.
During the 16th century, a prominent Persian scholar and historian named Ghiyath al-Din Khwandamir wrote about a nobleman named Afzali who served under the Safavid dynasty. This reference provides evidence of the name's continued use among the Persian nobility.
One of the most notable individuals with the surname AFZALI was Mirza Mohammad Khan Afzali, a 19th-century Persian diplomat and statesman. He served as the ambassador of Persia to several European countries and played a crucial role in the modernization of Persia's diplomatic relations.
Another prominent figure was Abdol-Hossein Afzali, a 20th-century Iranian politician and writer. He served as a member of the Iranian parliament and wrote extensively on political and social issues in Iran.
The name AFZALI has also been associated with various place names in Persia, such as the village of Afzali in the province of Khorasan. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific location or region within Persia.
Throughout history, the AFZALI surname has maintained its ties to Persian culture and heritage, carrying with it a sense of excellence and distinction.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Afzali.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Afzali was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 63.72% | 209 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 6.40% | 21 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 25.30% | 83 |
Hispanic Origin | 3.96% | 13 |
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 Afzali has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 63.72% | 57.14% | 10.89% |
Black | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 6.40% | 9.52% | -39.20% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 25.30% | 30.77% | -19.51% |
Hispanic | 3.96% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Afzali was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/afzali-surname-popularity/">Afzali last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Afzali last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 18, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/afzali-surname-popularity/.
"Afzali last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/afzali-surname-popularity/. Accessed 18 April, 2025
Afzali last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/afzali-surname-popularity/.
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