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

Babak, 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 Babak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Babak in America

Babak is the 65244th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Babak surname appeared 304 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 Babak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Babak 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 Babak

The surname Babak has its origins in the Persian language and is believed to have emerged in the region of modern-day Iran during the medieval period. It is derived from the Persian word "babak," which means "small gate" or "small door." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived near or worked at small gates or doors, perhaps as gatekeepers or guards.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Babak can be found in the historical chronicles of the Sasanian Empire, which ruled over Persia from the 3rd to the 7th century CE. These records mention a rebel leader named Babak Khorramdin, who led an uprising against the Abbasid Caliphate in the early 9th century. His rebellion, known as the Khurramiyah Rebellion, lasted for over two decades and was a significant challenge to the Abbasid rule in the region.

Another notable figure with the surname Babak was Babak Khorramdin II, who lived in the late 9th century and was a descendant of the original rebel leader. He continued the resistance against the Abbasid Caliphate and is mentioned in various historical accounts from that period.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the records of the Timurid Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia. A notable individual from this period was Babak Mirza, who was a prince and military commander under the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh.

During the Safavid Dynasty, which ruled over Persia from the 16th to the 18th century, the name Babak was also present. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Babak Khan, a military leader and governor who served under Shah Abbas I in the early 17th century.

In more recent times, the surname Babak has been associated with several notable figures, including Babak Anvari, an Iranian-American filmmaker and writer born in 1973, and Babak Amir-Ahmadi, an Iranian-Canadian economist and professor born in 1978.

While the surname Babak has its roots in Persian culture and history, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, it remains most prevalent in Iran and among individuals of Iranian descent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Babak

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

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

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

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