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

Arafat, 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 Arafat surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arafat in America

Arafat is the 51281st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arafat surname appeared 406 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 Arafat.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arafat 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 Arafat

The surname Arafat originates from the Arabic language and is believed to have roots in the Middle East, particularly in the region of Palestine. The name is derived from the Arabic word 'Arafah', which refers to a specific location near the holy city of Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arafat can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various Arabic manuscripts and historical records. During this time, the name was often associated with individuals who had made the pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj, and had visited the sacred mount of Arafat.

In the 13th century, the name Arafat gained prominence within the Palestinian region, where it was commonly used by families and individuals residing in the areas around the city of Nablus. Some historians believe that the name may have been adopted by those who had ancestors or relatives who had undertaken the Hajj pilgrimage and visited the mount of Arafat.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Arafat was Ibn Arafat, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in the 12th century. He was born in the city of Nablus and made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the region, the name Arafat continued to be widely used among Palestinian families, particularly in the areas around Nablus and Jerusalem. Several historical records from this period mention individuals bearing the surname Arafat, including notable figures such as Mahmoud Arafat, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the 17th century.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals bearing the surname Arafat was Yasser Arafat, a Palestinian leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who played a pivotal role in the Palestinian national movement. He was born in 1929 in Cairo, Egypt, and served as the Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from 1969 until his death in 2004.

Other notable individuals with the surname Arafat include Nora Arafat, a Palestinian activist and the wife of Yasser Arafat; Saher Arafat, a Palestinian diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities for the Palestinian National Authority; and Leila Arafat, a Palestinian writer and activist who is the daughter of Yasser Arafat.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arafat

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

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

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

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