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

Ashraf, 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 Ashraf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ashraf in America

Ashraf is the 12548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ashraf surname appeared 2,468 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 Ashraf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ashraf 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 Ashraf

The surname ASHRAF is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the Middle East, specifically the Arabian Peninsula, during the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "Ashrāf," which means "noble" or "distinguished." The name was initially used to refer to individuals who belonged to the noble class or had a close connection to the Prophet Muhammad's family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ASHRAF can be found in historical manuscripts from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over a vast region spanning from North Africa to Central Asia between the 8th and 13th centuries AD. These manuscripts often mentioned individuals with the surname ASHRAF who held positions of authority or played significant roles in the caliphate's administration.

As the Islamic empire expanded, the name ASHRAF spread to various regions, including Persia (modern-day Iran), Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. In some regions, the name took on variations in spelling, such as ASHRAF or ASHRAFI, reflecting local linguistic influences.

One notable figure with the surname ASHRAF was Mir Ashraf Jahangir Simnani, a 14th-century Persian poet and mystic who was revered for his poetic works and contributions to Sufism. Another prominent individual was Ashrafi Hussain Khan, a 16th-century Mughal administrator and military commander who served under the emperor Akbar.

During the Ottoman Empire's reign in the Middle East and parts of Europe between the 14th and 20th centuries, the surname ASHRAF was also found among the ruling elite and influential families. One such individual was Ismail Ashraf Bey, an 18th-century Ottoman governor and diplomat who played a crucial role in the empire's affairs.

In the Indian subcontinent, the surname ASHRAF gained prominence during the Mughal Empire and the subsequent era of Muslim rule. Notable figures include Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, a 19th-century poet and scholar considered one of the greatest contributors to Urdu literature, and Muhammad Ashraf Ali Thanawi, a renowned 19th-century Islamic scholar and theologian.

Throughout history, the surname ASHRAF has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, poets, administrators, and military leaders, reflecting the name's noble and distinguished origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ashraf

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!