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

Diab, 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 Diab surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Diab in America

Diab is the 19334th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Diab surname appeared 1,400 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 Diab.

We can also compare 2010 data for Diab 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 Diab

The surname Diab has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East. It is derived from the Arabic word "dib," which means "wolf." The name likely originally referred to someone who possessed wolf-like characteristics, such as strength, fierceness, or cunning.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Diab can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the Islamic conquests of the Middle East and North Africa. It is mentioned in several historical manuscripts and records from that era, indicating its presence among Arab tribes and communities.

In the 11th century, the name appears in the famous Arabic manuscript "Kitab al-Ansab" (Book of Genealogies), which chronicles the lineages and ancestries of prominent Arab families. This suggests that the Diab surname had gained recognition and was associated with notable individuals during that period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Diab was Abd al-Rahman al-Diab, a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived in the 9th century AD. His works and contributions to Arabic literature and culture have been widely studied and celebrated.

In the 12th century, the name is found in records from the city of Damascus, Syria, where a family of merchants and traders by the name of Diab was prominent. Their name was also associated with the neighboring town of Diab, which may have been named after them or vice versa.

Another notable figure bearing the Diab surname was Ibn Diab al-Qurtubi, a 13th-century Arab philosopher and theologian from the city of Cordoba in present-day Spain. His influential writings on Islamic jurisprudence and theology have been widely studied and debated.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Middle East, the Diab surname continued to be prevalent, with several individuals bearing the name serving in various positions within the Ottoman administration and military ranks.

Fast-forwarding to more recent times, one of the most famous individuals with the Diab surname was Mahmoud Diab, a renowned Egyptian actor and filmmaker who lived from 1923 to 1983. He was known for his contributions to the golden age of Egyptian cinema and his performances in several critically acclaimed films.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Diab

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

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

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

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