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

Attar, 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 Attar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Attar in America

Attar is the 28158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Attar surname appeared 850 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 Attar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Attar 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 Attar

The surname Attar is believed to have originated in the Arabian peninsula, likely in the region that is now Saudi Arabia or Yemen. The name is derived from the Arabic word 'attar', which means 'perfumer' or 'one who trades in perfumes and aromatic oils'. The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic caliphates.

The Attar surname is closely associated with the historic spice trade routes that crisscrossed the Arabian peninsula and connected the region to the Mediterranean, Persia, and the Indian subcontinent. Many families with this surname were involved in the lucrative business of trading aromatic spices, incense, and perfumes sourced from the Arabian deserts and coastal regions.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Attar surname was Al-Kindi, a renowned Arab philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who lived in Basra (present-day Iraq) during the 9th century AD (801-873 AD). Another notable figure was Ibn Abi Usaibia, a Syrian physician and historian from the 13th century (1203-1270 AD), who wrote extensively on the lives of famous Arab physicians and scientists.

In the 14th century, a Persian poet and mystic named Farid ud-Din Attar (1145-1221 AD) gained widespread recognition for his influential works, including the epic poem "The Conference of the Birds". His surname, Attar, reflects his family's occupation as perfumers or spice traders.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Middle East and North Africa, the Attar surname was particularly prominent in cities like Damascus, Baghdad, and Cairo, where many families were engaged in the spice trade and the production of aromatic oils and perfumes.

Another notable figure with the Attar surname was Sayyid Ahmad Attar, a renowned 18th-century Sufi scholar and poet from India (1705-1770 AD). His works, which combined Sufi mysticism with poetic expression, had a significant impact on the literary and spiritual traditions of the Indian subcontinent.

Throughout history, the Attar surname has been associated with the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East, particularly in the realms of trade, literature, and spirituality. While the name may have evolved and spread to other regions over time, its origins remain firmly rooted in the Arabian peninsula and the ancient spice trade routes that connected the region to the wider world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Attar

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

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

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

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