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

Karem, 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 Karem surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Karem in America

Karem is the 78040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Karem surname appeared 245 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 Karem.

We can also compare 2010 data for Karem 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 Karem

The surname Karem is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Lebanon and Syria. It likely dates back to the 11th or 12th century, during the time of the Crusades. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "karam," which means generosity or nobility.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Karem can be found in a manuscript from the 13th century, which mentions a man named Yusuf Karem, who was a prominent merchant in the city of Tripoli, Lebanon. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

The name Karem is also closely associated with the town of Karem, located in southern Lebanon. It is possible that the surname originated as a reference to individuals who hailed from this town or its surrounding areas.

In the 14th century, there are records of a family named Karem residing in the city of Damascus, Syria. This family was known for their involvement in the silk trade and their patronage of the arts.

One notable figure bearing the surname Karem was Fatima Karem, a 16th-century poet from Aleppo, Syria. Her collection of poetry, titled "The Rose Garden," is considered a masterpiece of Arabic literature.

In the 18th century, a man named Ibrahim Karem (1720-1795) gained prominence as a scholar and translator in the Ottoman Empire. He is credited with translating several important works from Greek and Latin into Arabic.

Another famous bearer of the name was Musa Karem (1810-1888), a Lebanese writer and politician who played a significant role in the movement for greater autonomy for Mount Lebanon during the Ottoman period.

The 19th century saw the rise of Khalil Karem (1845-1917), a pioneering Lebanese-American writer and journalist. He is regarded as one of the founders of the Arab-American literary tradition and was a prominent figure in the Mahjar literary movement.

Throughout its history, the surname Karem has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, poets, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Karem

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

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

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

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