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

Anwar, 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 Anwar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Anwar in America

Anwar is the 10480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Anwar surname appeared 3,065 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Anwar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Anwar 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 Anwar

The surname Anwar has its origins rooted in the Arabic language, tracing back to regions of the Middle East and North Africa. It emerged during the medieval period, particularly in areas under Islamic influence and cultural dominance.

Anwar is derived from the Arabic word "anwar," which translates to "lights" or "illuminations." This linguistic origin may have been associated with individuals who were considered enlightened, wise, or bearers of knowledge within their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Anwar can be found in historical manuscripts from the 12th century, where it appeared as a reference to scholars and religious figures in regions like present-day Iraq and Syria.

Notable historical figures who bore the surname Anwar include Anwar al-Jundi (1072-1135), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Baghdad, renowned for his contributions to the study of Sharia law. Another prominent individual was Anwar ibn Ali al-Hamdani (1009-1072), a celebrated Arab poet and philosopher from Yemen.

In the 13th century, the Anwar surname gained prominence in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in regions like modern-day Pakistan and northern India. This was likely due to the influence of Persian and Arabic cultures during the Delhi Sultanate period.

One notable example from this era is Anwar Khan Kashmiri (1275-1349), a distinguished military commander and governor who served under the Delhi Sultanate. His exploits and leadership were documented in various historical accounts of the time.

As Islamic empires and cultural influences spread across different regions, the surname Anwar also found its way into parts of Central Asia and the Caucasus region. In the 16th century, Anwar Khwaja (1490-1558), a Sufi mystic and poet from modern-day Uzbekistan, gained recognition for his spiritual writings and teachings.

The surname Anwar has also been associated with various place names and locales throughout history. For instance, the ancient city of Anwar in present-day Iran was once a prominent center of cultural and intellectual activity during the Islamic Golden Age.

Other notable individuals bearing the surname Anwar include Anwar al-Din ibn Shams al-Din (1392-1451), a renowned astronomer and mathematician from Damascus, and Anwar al-Sadat (1918-1981), the former President of Egypt and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in negotiating peace between Egypt and Israel.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Anwar

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

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

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

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