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

Emad, 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 Emad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Emad in America

Emad is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Emad surname appeared 133 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 Emad.

The history of the last name Emad

The surname EMAD is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in areas of modern-day Iran and Iraq, where it is thought to have first emerged sometime during the 7th or 8th century AD. The name is derived from the Arabic word "imad," which means "pillar" or "support," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals who were regarded as pillars or supporters within their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name EMAD can be found in the writings of renowned Persian poet and scholar Hakim Abul-Qasim Ferdowsi, who lived from around 940 to 1020 AD. In his epic poem, the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi mentions a character named Emad, which may have been a reference to an individual with this surname.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, the name EMAD appears to have spread beyond the Middle East, with records indicating individuals bearing this surname in various parts of the Islamic world, including regions of modern-day Turkey, Syria, and Egypt. One notable figure from this period was Emad al-Din Zengi, a powerful Seljuk Atabeg (governor) who ruled over parts of modern-day Syria and northern Iraq from 1127 to 1146 AD.

As the name EMAD continued to spread throughout the centuries, it also found its way into various European regions, particularly in areas that had historical connections with the Islamic world, such as Iberia and parts of the Mediterranean. One example is Emad Al-Naqib, a 12th-century Islamic scholar and poet who lived in Seville, Spain, during the Almohad Caliphate.

In the 13th century, the EMAD surname can be found in records from the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, where it was borne by individuals like Emad al-Din al-Isfahani, a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian who lived from around 1233 to 1312 AD. During this period, the name also appeared in regions of modern-day Iran and Central Asia, with individuals such as Emad al-Din Mahmud Qazvini, a 14th-century Persian historian and geographer, bearing this surname.

As trade and migration patterns evolved, the EMAD surname eventually spread to other parts of the world, including regions of South Asia and Africa. One notable figure from this period was Emad al-Din Rafiqi, a 16th-century Sufi poet and scholar from present-day Pakistan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Emad

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

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 Emad 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.

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

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

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