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

Awan, 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 Awan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Awan in America

Awan is the 17290th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Awan surname appeared 1,637 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 Awan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Awan 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 Awan

The surname AWAN is of Arabic origin and traces its roots to the Middle East. It is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, specifically in the region now known as Saudi Arabia, during the medieval period.

The name AWAN is derived from the Arabic word 'awan', which means 'helper' or 'aid'. It is thought to have been initially given as a descriptive name to individuals who provided assistance or support to others, either in a professional or personal capacity.

In the early Islamic era, the surname AWAN appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly those documenting the lives and achievements of prominent scholars, poets, and religious figures. One notable example is the 9th-century poet and writer, Abu'l-Awan al-Andalusi, who was born in Cordoba, Spain, in 807 CE and died in 858 CE.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname AWAN can be found in several medieval Arabic manuscripts, including the works of renowned historians like Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE) and Al-Tabari (838-923 CE). Additionally, the name appeared in various administrative records and official documents from the Abbasid and Umayyad caliphates.

As the Islamic civilization expanded, individuals bearing the surname AWAN migrated to different regions, contributing to the diverse cultural and ethnic makeup of the areas they settled in. In the Indian subcontinent, for instance, the AWAN surname can be traced back to the 11th century, when several families with this name arrived from the Middle East and established themselves in various parts of the region.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname AWAN. One such figure was Mirza Muhammad Awan (1771-1851), a prominent Sufi saint and scholar from the Awadh region of India. Another was Maulana Muhammad Awan (1875-1951), a renowned Islamic scholar and author from Punjab, Pakistan.

In the realm of literature, the name AWAN is associated with the 19th-century Urdu poet and writer, Mir Anis Awan (1802-1874), who was born in Delhi and is renowned for his contributions to the Urdu literary tradition.

The AWAN surname has also been carried by influential political figures, such as Muhammad Awan (1909-1980), a prominent Pakistani lawyer and politician who served as the President of Pakistan from 1973 to 1978.

While the surname AWAN has evolved over time and taken on various localized forms and spellings across different regions, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Middle East, where it originated as a descriptive name signifying assistance and support.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Awan

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

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

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

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