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

Awad, 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 Awad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Awad in America

Awad is the 6275th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Awad surname appeared 5,446 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Awad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Awad 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 Awad

The surname AWAD is believed to have originated in the Arab world, specifically in regions that are now parts of modern-day Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. It is an Arabic name derived from the root word "awad," which means "to return" or "to come back." This root word is also associated with the concept of compensation or recompense.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name AWAD can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and chronicles, which document individuals bearing this surname during the Islamic Golden Age (8th-13th centuries). These records often refer to scholars, poets, and intellectuals from prominent families with the AWAD surname, indicating its historical significance.

The AWAD name has also been linked to certain place names in the Middle East, such as the town of Awad in Lebanon and the village of Awad al-Sham in Syria. These locations may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname among local populations.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname AWAD. One such figure was Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Awad (1084-1158), a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer from Mosul, Iraq, who made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and the study of celestial mechanics.

Another prominent bearer of the AWAD surname was Yahya ibn al-Awad (1118-1192), a Moroccan scholar and philosopher who wrote extensively on logic, metaphysics, and Islamic jurisprudence. His works were widely studied and influenced intellectual discourse in the region.

In the literary realm, Abdallah ibn al-Awad (1218-1289) was a celebrated Arab poet and writer from Damascus, Syria. His poetic works, which often explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality, gained widespread acclaim and were widely circulated throughout the Middle East.

During the Ottoman Empire's reign, the AWAD surname was also present among influential figures. One such individual was Ahmad al-Awad (1543-1617), a Turkish-born military commander and statesman who served as the governor of several provinces and played a crucial role in the empire's expansion and administration.

In more recent times, Amal AWAD (1915-2002) was a prominent Egyptian journalist and women's rights activist. She was a pioneering figure in advocating for gender equality and played a significant role in shaping public discourse on women's issues in the Arab world.

These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have carried the surname AWAD, reflecting its deep roots and cultural significance in various regions of the Arab world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Awad

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

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

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

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