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

Khanam, 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 Khanam surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Khanam in America

Khanam is the 26126th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Khanam surname appeared 937 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 Khanam.

We can also compare 2010 data for Khanam 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 Khanam

The surname KHANAM is of Persian origin and can be traced back to the 16th century in Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "Khan," which means a ruler, chief, or nobleman, and the feminine suffix "am," indicating a woman's title or honorific. The name was initially associated with women from noble or aristocratic families who held positions of authority or influence.

KHANAM gained prominence during the reign of the Safavid Dynasty in Persia, particularly under Shah Abbas I (1571-1629), who bestowed the title on women from prominent families. Some historical references suggest that the name was also used by women who held positions in the royal court or were close to the ruling elite.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname KHANAM can be found in the "Tarikh-e Alam Ara-ye Abbasi," a historical chronicle written by Iskandar Beg Munshi in the early 17th century. The book mentions several women with the title KHANAM, including Mahin Banu Khanam, a noblewoman and the sister of Shah Abbas I's wife.

In the 18th century, the surname KHANAM was also associated with the Qajar Dynasty in Persia. Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1772-1834), who ruled from 1797 to 1834, had several wives and concubines with the title KHANAM, such as Mahd-e Ulya Khanam and Zahra Khanam.

During the 19th century, the name KHANAM spread beyond the borders of Persia and was adopted by noble families in neighboring regions, including parts of Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. One notable figure from this era was Khadija Khanam (1846-1924), an Indian poet and historian who wrote extensively about the Mughal Empire.

In the early 20th century, Gawhar Khanam (1899-1982) was a prominent Afghan princess and diplomat who served as the ambassador of Afghanistan to several countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

Another notable bearer of the surname KHANAM was Roqeya Khanam (1880-1932), an Indian Muslim writer and social reformer who advocated for women's education and fought against practices like polygamy and child marriage.

While the surname KHANAM is still used in parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and South Asia, it has also been adopted by families in other regions due to migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Khanam

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

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

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

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