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

Kalim, 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 Kalim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kalim in America

Kalim is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kalim surname appeared 130 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 Kalim.

The history of the last name Kalim

The surname KALIM has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the regions of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan. It is believed to have emerged during the 9th or 10th century CE, when the Persian language was widespread across these areas. The name KALIM is derived from the Arabic word "kalim," meaning "speaker" or "orator." This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have been individuals known for their skills in public speaking or oratory.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name KALIM can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian poet and scholar, Ferdowsi, in his epic work, the Shahnameh, completed in the late 10th century. The Shahnameh contains references to several characters bearing variations of the name, such as Kalim-e Herat and Kalim-e Balkh, indicating their association with the cities of Herat and Balkh, respectively.

During the 12th century, the name KALIM appeared in the court records of the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning parts of modern-day Iran, Turkey, and Central Asia. These records mention a prominent figure named Kalim al-Din, who served as a vizier (high-ranking minister) to the Seljuk Sultan Mahmud II in the early 1100s.

In the 14th century, a renowned Persian scholar and poet, Kalim Hamadani, bore this surname. Born in 1281 in Hamadan, Iran, Kalim Hamadani was renowned for his mastery of the Persian language and his contributions to the literary tradition of the time.

Another notable figure with the surname KALIM was Kalim Allah Jahanabadi, a 16th-century Sufi saint and scholar from the city of Jahanabad in present-day Bihar, India. He was known for his spiritual teachings and writings, which influenced the Sufi movement in the region.

In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Kalim Khan rose to prominence as a military commander and governor in the Mughal Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent. Kalim Khan was appointed as the governor of the province of Malwa in central India by the Mughal Emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur in the 1750s.

These examples illustrate the historical presence and significance of the surname KALIM across various regions and time periods, often associated with individuals renowned for their intellectual, literary, or leadership qualities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kalim

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!