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

Arakelian, 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 Arakelian surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arakelian in America

Arakelian is the 20541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arakelian surname appeared 1,291 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 Arakelian.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arakelian 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 Arakelian

The surname ARAKELIAN originates from Armenia, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Armenian personal name "Arakel," which itself is a combination of the words "ara" meaning "noble" and "kel" meaning "pilgrim." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon someone of noble birth who undertook a religious pilgrimage.

ARAKELIAN is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century, during the era of the Bagratid and Artsruni dynasties that ruled over various parts of historic Armenia. The name is found in several ancient Armenian manuscripts and chronicles from this time, indicating its widespread use among the Armenian nobility and clergy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 14th century, when an Armenian scholar and physician named Arakel Davrizhetsi (1349-1425) gained renown for his medical treatises and contributions to the field of Armenian literature. His works, including the "Book of Remedies," have been preserved and studied by scholars over the centuries.

In the 16th century, the ARAKELIAN name was associated with the village of Arakelots, located in the historic province of Vayots Dzor in southern Armenia. This suggests that some members of the ARAKELIAN family may have originated from or held lands in this region.

During the Ottoman era, the ARAKELIAN name was borne by several notable figures, including Arakel Shakhkulian (1615-1675), a prominent Armenian poet and theologian who served as the Bishop of Etchmiadzin, the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In the 19th century, the ARAKELIAN name gained prominence with the birth of Hovhannes Arakelian (1832-1894), a renowned Armenian writer, educator, and public figure. He played a vital role in the establishment of the first Armenian schools in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) and contributed significantly to the Armenian literary renaissance of the time.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Mikayel Arakelian (1872-1948), a renowned Armenian painter and artist who is considered one of the founders of modern Armenian art. His works, which often depicted scenes from Armenian village life, have been exhibited in galleries around the world and are highly regarded within the Armenian cultural heritage.

These examples illustrate the long and rich history of the ARAKELIAN surname, which has been borne by influential figures across various fields, from literature and theology to medicine and the arts, throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arakelian

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

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

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

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