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

Hussain, 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 Hussain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hussain in America

Hussain is the 2146th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hussain surname appeared 16,909 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hussain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hussain 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 Hussain

The surname "HUSSAIN" is of Arabic origin and is believed to have emerged in the 7th century CE during the Islamic Golden Age. It is derived from the Arabic word "Husayn," which means "good" or "handsome." The name is closely associated with Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the most revered figures in Islam.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "HUSSAIN" can be found in various historical texts and manuscripts from the Middle East. One notable example is the "Kitab al-Aghani" (Book of Songs), a 10th-century anthology of Arabic poetry and literature, which mentions individuals bearing the surname.

In the 11th century, the surname "HUSSAIN" gained prominence in regions that are now part of modern-day Iran, Iraq, and Syria. During this period, several notable figures with the surname emerged, including Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Sufi (903-986 CE), a renowned Persian astronomer and mathematician.

As Islam spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe, the surname "HUSSAIN" became more widespread. In the 12th century, the name appeared in records from the Iberian Peninsula, where the Moors (Muslims from North Africa) had established a significant presence.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "HUSSAIN" was Husayn ibn Ali (626-680 CE), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and a central figure in Shia Islam. He is revered for his martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala, which is commemorated annually during the Ashura mourning rituals.

Other notable figures with the surname "HUSSAIN" include:

1. Mir Husayn Isfahani (1554-1637 CE), a renowned Persian calligrapher and artist.
2. Badr al-Din al-Husayn (1292-1363 CE), a Persian mystic and Sufi master.
3. Husayn al-Kurdi (1617-1689 CE), a Kurdish scholar and poet.
4. Husayn ibn Ali al-Tusi (1018-1095 CE), a Persian philosopher and mathematician.
5. Husayn Bayqara (1438-1506 CE), the Sultan of the Timurid Empire in modern-day Afghanistan and Iran.

The surname "HUSSAIN" has also been associated with various place names, such as Husaynabad (meaning "town of Husayn") and Husayniyah, which can be found in several countries with significant Muslim populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hussain

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

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

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

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