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

Kalem, 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 Kalem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kalem in America

Kalem is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kalem surname appeared 139 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 Kalem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kalem 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 Kalem

The surname KALEM has its origins in the Middle Eastern region, particularly in Turkey. It is believed to have emerged during the Ottoman Empire era, which spanned from the 13th to the early 20th century.

KALEM is derived from the Arabic word "qalam," which means "pen" or "reed." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been associated with calligraphers, scribes, or scholars who worked with writing instruments.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KALEM surname can be traced back to the 16th century, when it appeared in Ottoman archival documents related to land ownership and taxation records in the regions of Anatolia and the Balkans.

In the late 17th century, a prominent Ottoman calligrapher named Ahmed Kalem was renowned for his intricate calligraphic works, which adorned numerous mosques and palaces across the Ottoman territories. His artistic contributions helped elevate the prestige of the KALEM name during that period.

Another notable figure bearing the KALEM surname was Yahya Kalem, a 19th-century Ottoman scholar and poet who authored several literary works and served as an advisor to Sultan Abdülmecid I.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the KALEM surname was also found in various parts of the Balkan region, including present-day Bulgaria, Greece, and the Balkans. This could be attributed to the Ottoman influence and migration patterns within the empire's territories.

In the early 20th century, a Turkish political figure named Celal Kalem played a role in the Young Turk Revolution, advocating for constitutional reforms and modernization within the Ottoman Empire.

As the Ottoman Empire dissolved and the Republic of Turkey was established, the KALEM surname continued to be present among Turkish families, with some branches migrating to other parts of the world, carrying the name with them.

It's worth noting that variations in spelling, such as KALEME or KALEMCI, may have existed in different regions or time periods, reflecting regional dialects or occupational associations related to writing or calligraphy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kalem

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

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

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

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