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

Hirsi, 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 Hirsi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hirsi in America

Hirsi is the 51396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hirsi surname appeared 405 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 Hirsi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hirsi 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 Hirsi

The surname HIRSI is believed to have originated in Somalia, a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is thought to be derived from the Somali word "hirsi," which means "chastity" or "virtue." The name likely emerged during the medieval period when many Somali clans and lineages were established.

HIRSI is a common surname among the Somali people, particularly within the Hawiye clan, one of the major noble clans in Somalia. The name has been recorded in various historical documents and manuscripts related to Somalia's rich cultural heritage.

One of the earliest known mentions of the HIRSI surname can be found in the "Kitab al-Shufara al-Somal" (The Book of Somali Poets), a compilation of Somali poetry dating back to the 16th century. This work includes poems by several poets with the HIRSI surname, indicating the name's prevalence during that time.

In the 19th century, the HIRSI surname gained prominence with the rise of the Somali scholar and philosopher, Abdullahi Nur HIRSI (1856-1935). He was a renowned Islamic scholar and played a significant role in the spread of education and religious teachings in Somalia.

Another notable figure with the HIRSI surname is Ayaan Hirsi Ali (born 1969), a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, writer, and former politician. She is known for her criticism of Islamic fundamentalism and her advocacy for women's rights and secularism.

Other individuals with the HIRSI surname throughout history include:

1. Mohammed Abdullahi HIRSI (1919-2008), a Somali politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from 1964 to 1967.
2. Abdirahman HIRSI (1938-2014), a Somali politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Somalia from 2010 to 2011.
3. Fadumo HIRSI (1936-2020), a Somali-American activist and community leader who worked tirelessly for the empowerment of Somali women and youth in Minnesota, United States.
4. Hawa Abdi HIRSI (born 1947), a renowned Somali human rights activist and pioneer in establishing the Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides shelter and medical care to internally displaced people in Somalia.

The HIRSI surname has a rich history deeply rooted in Somali culture and tradition, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hirsi

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

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

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

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