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

Elahi, 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 Elahi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Elahi in America

Elahi is the 32079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Elahi surname appeared 719 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 Elahi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Elahi 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 Elahi

The surname "ELAHI" is of Arabic origin, and it is believed to have first emerged in the Middle East during the 7th century AD, around the time of the Islamic conquests. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Elah," which translates to "God" or "the Divine." This suggests that the name may have been bestowed upon individuals or families who were closely associated with religious or spiritual pursuits.

In the early Islamic era, the surname ELAHI was primarily found in regions such as modern-day Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria, where Arabic culture and language had a strong influence. As the Islamic empires expanded, the name spread to other parts of the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ELAHI can be found in a 9th-century manuscript from Baghdad, which mentions a scholar named Abu Bakr al-Elahi. This document provides valuable insight into the use of the name during the Abbasid Caliphate.

During the medieval period, the ELAHI surname appeared in various historical records and chronicles across the Islamic world. For instance, a 12th-century manuscript from Andalusia (modern-day Spain) mentions a prominent poet and philosopher named Ibn al-Elahi.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname ELAHI was Shams al-Din al-Elahi, a renowned Sufi mystic and scholar from Persia (modern-day Iran). His teachings and writings had a significant impact on the development of Sufism and Islamic philosophy.

Another prominent individual with the ELAHI surname was Mirza Mehdi Khan Elahi Nuri, a 19th-century Persian statesman and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Persia during the Qajar dynasty.

In the 20th century, one of the most renowned figures with the surname ELAHI was Ostad Elahi (1895-1974), a renowned philosopher, musician, and spiritual teacher from Iran. His teachings focused on the unity of religious truth and the importance of self-knowledge and ethical conduct.

It is worth noting that the surname ELAHI has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout the Middle East and North Africa. For example, the town of Elahi in modern-day Iran and the Elahi Mountains in Yemen are believed to have derived their names from individuals or families bearing this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Elahi

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

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

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

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