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

Khalif, 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 Khalif surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Khalif in America

Khalif is the 49365th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Khalif surname appeared 426 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 Khalif.

We can also compare 2010 data for Khalif 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 Khalif

The surname "KHALIF" is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the title "Caliph," which was the supreme religious and political leader of the Muslim world during the era of the Islamic caliphates. This name is derived from the Arabic word "Khalifa," meaning "successor" or "deputy."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "KHALIF" can be traced back to the medieval Islamic world, particularly in regions where Arabic was the predominant language. It is believed that this name was initially adopted by individuals who held positions of authority or had a connection to the ruling caliphs or their administrations.

During the golden age of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 CE), which was centered in Baghdad, the name "KHALIF" may have been used by scholars, officials, or members of the elite class who were closely associated with the caliphs. However, it is important to note that the use of surnames was not as widespread during this period as it is today.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "KHALIF" was Ibn al-Khalif al-Baghdadi (1162-1239 CE), a renowned Arabic calligrapher and scholar who lived during the Abbasid Caliphate. His works on calligraphy and poetry are highly regarded in the Islamic world.

Another notable figure was Al-Khalif Al-Fadl ibn Yahya al-Barmaki (766-808 CE), a powerful vizier (minister) during the reign of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid Caliph. The Barmakids, the family to which Al-Khalif belonged, were influential advisors and administrators in the Abbasid court.

In later periods, the surname "KHALIF" spread beyond the Arabic-speaking world and was adopted by individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds who embraced Islam or had connections to Muslim communities. For example, Ibrahim Khalif Al-Zahawi (1859-1936) was a prominent Iraqi politician and poet who served as the Minister of Education in the early 20th century.

Additionally, Khalif Ahmad Khan (1817-1887) was a notable Indian Muslim aristocrat and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of the Princely State of Tonk in Rajasthan, India, during the 19th century.

In more recent times, the name "KHALIF" has been carried by individuals such as Fatima Khalif, an influential Egyptian feminist and writer who advocated for women's rights in the early 20th century, and Khaled Khalifa, a renowned Syrian novelist and scriptwriter whose works explore themes of identity and societal change in the Arab world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Khalif

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

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

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

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