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

Kalam, 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 Kalam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kalam in America

Kalam is the 57914th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kalam surname appeared 351 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 Kalam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kalam 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 Kalam

The surname KALAM is of Arabic origin and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the regions of modern-day Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman. The name is derived from the Arabic word "kalam," which means "speech" or "utterance," suggesting that the name may have been associated with scholars, poets, or orators in its early days.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KALAM can be found in the historical chronicles of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled a vast empire spanning parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia between the 8th and 13th centuries. The name is mentioned in relation to renowned scholars and intellectuals who contributed to the flourishing of knowledge and culture during this golden age of Islamic civilization.

In the 10th century, Abu Nasr al-Farabi, a renowned philosopher, logician, and scientist, was known by the title "Al-Muallim al-Thani" (The Second Teacher), after Aristotle. His full name, Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Tarkhan ibn Uzalagh al-Farabi al-Kalam, suggests that the surname KALAM may have been used to denote his expertise in philosophy and logic.

During the 12th century, the name KALAM gained prominence through the works of the renowned theologian and philosopher, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, whose full name was Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Tusi al-Shafi'i al-Ghazali al-Kalam. His influential writings on Islamic theology and Sufism had a lasting impact on the intellectual and spiritual traditions of the Muslim world.

In the 13th century, the name KALAM appeared in the biographical dictionaries of the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria, where it was associated with scholars and experts in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and theology.

One of the most notable figures bearing the surname KALAM was the 20th-century Indian scientist and statesman, Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Known as the "Missile Man of India," he played a crucial role in the country's civilian space program and military missile development efforts.

While the surname KALAM has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including South Asia and Europe, due to migration and cultural exchange. However, its strong association with scholarship, knowledge, and intellectual pursuits remains deeply ingrained in its historical and linguistic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kalam

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

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

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

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