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

Alibhai, 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 Alibhai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Alibhai in America

Alibhai is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Alibhai surname appeared 159 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 Alibhai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Alibhai 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 Alibhai

The surname ALIBHAI is of Indian origin, specifically from the Gujarat region of western India. It is believed to have first emerged in the 14th or 15th century during the time of the Delhi Sultanate and the subsequent Mughal Empire.

The name ALIBHAI is derived from the Arabic word 'Ali', which is a common Muslim name, and the Gujarati word 'bhai', meaning 'brother'. It is likely that the name was originally a descriptive term used to refer to someone as the brother of Ali or a follower of Ali, who was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ALIBHAI can be found in the 'Mirat-i-Ahmadi', a historical text written in Persian by Ali Muhammad Khan in the 16th century. This text mentions a prominent merchant and trader named Alibhai who lived in the city of Surat, a major port in Gujarat during the Mughal era.

In the 17th century, the ALIBHAI surname is also mentioned in several records of the East India Company, which had established trading posts in Gujarat. These records document business dealings and transactions with local merchants and traders bearing the ALIBHAI name.

One notable individual with the surname ALIBHAI was Alibhai Premji (1783-1856), a wealthy Gujarati merchant and philanthropist who founded the Premji Family Trust, which later established the Premji Educational Society in Bombay (now Mumbai).

Another prominent figure was Sir Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee (1828-1920), a highly successful Gujarati businessman and philanthropist who was one of the wealthiest individuals in British India. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1891 for his contributions to education and charitable causes.

In the 19th century, the ALIBHAI surname also appeared in various records and documents related to the Khoja community, a Muslim trading community from Gujarat and parts of South Asia. Several prominent Khoja families bore the ALIBHAI surname, such as the Alibhai Adamji Peerbhoy family, who were influential merchants and landowners in Mumbai.

Other notable individuals with the ALIBHAI surname include Alibhai Kassambhai Premji (1865-1925), a prominent Gujarati businessman and philanthropist, and Alibhai Radhakrishna Sheth (1884-1957), a renowned Indian lawyer and member of the Bombay Legislative Council.

Overall, the surname ALIBHAI has a rich history and association with the Gujarati Muslim community, particularly with regard to trade, business, and philanthropy. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in India, and it has been carried by many influential and prominent individuals throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Alibhai

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

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

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

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