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

Alani, 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 Alani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alani in America

Alani is the 44500th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alani surname appeared 483 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 Alani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alani 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 Alani

The surname ALANI is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the region of modern-day Iran and Iraq. It can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic conquests and the spread of Arabic culture and language throughout the region.

The name ALANI is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "al-ani," which means "the helper" or "the assistant." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who served as helpers or assistants in various professions or roles within their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ALANI surname can be found in a collection of Islamic manuscripts from the 9th century CE. These manuscripts contain references to several individuals bearing the name, indicating its presence in the region during that time period.

In the 11th century, the ALANI name appeared in historical records related to the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning parts of modern-day Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. One notable figure from this era was Abu'l-Fadl al-Alani, a prominent poet and scholar who lived in Baghdad during the reign of the Seljuk Sultan Malik-Shah I (1072–1092 CE).

During the Mamluk period in Egypt and the Levant (1250–1517 CE), the ALANI surname was associated with several notable individuals, including Shams al-Din al-Alani, a renowned Sufi scholar and mystic who lived in Cairo in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the ALANI name can be found in Ottoman records, suggesting that individuals bearing this surname may have migrated or been part of the Ottoman Empire's expansion into the region.

Throughout history, the ALANI surname has been associated with various prominent figures, such as:

1. Abu Bakr al-Alani (d. 1066 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad.
2. Shihab al-Din al-Alani (1199–1266 CE), a prominent Sunni Islamic scholar and poet from Damascus.
3. Muhammad al-Alani (1563–1636 CE), an Ottoman calligrapher and poet from Istanbul.
4. Ali al-Alani (1764–1828 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian from Najaf, Iraq.
5. Hasan al-Alani (1886–1973 CE), an Iraqi writer, poet, and politician who served as the Minister of Education in the 1940s.

While the ALANI surname has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the 7th century CE and the early days of Islamic civilization in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alani

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

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

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

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