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

Khanum, 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 Khanum surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Khanum in America

Khanum is the 68949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Khanum surname appeared 285 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 Khanum.

We can also compare 2010 data for Khanum 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 Khanum

The surname KHANUM has its origins in the Persian language and culture. It is derived from the Persian word "khanum" which means "lady" or "woman" and was often used as a title of respect for women of noble or affluent backgrounds.

This surname can be traced back to the medieval period in Persia, which is now modern-day Iran. It was commonly used among the aristocratic and elite classes of Persian society, particularly within the royal court and among members of the ruling dynasties.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KHANUM can be found in the writings and chronicles of the 13th century Persian poet and historian, Jami. He mentioned several prominent women bearing this surname, who were influential figures in the courts of the Ilkhanid and Timurid dynasties.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the KHANUM surname gained further prominence and was associated with several notable women in Persian history. Mahin Banu Khanum (1528-1578) was a renowned poet and calligrapher who was praised for her literary works and artistic skills. Tahmasb Khanum (1590-1654) was a powerful and influential figure in the Safavid court, known for her political acumen and support of the arts.

In the 19th century, Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1772-1834), the second shah of the Qajar dynasty, had several wives and concubines who bore the KHANUM surname, reflecting their elevated status within the royal harem.

Beyond Persia, the KHANUM surname also found its way into the neighboring regions of Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, where Persian cultural influences were strong. Gulbahar Khanum (1766-1835) was a prominent Uzbek poetess and calligrapher from the Khanate of Khiva, renowned for her literary works and artistic talents.

While the surname KHANUM has its roots in the Persian language and culture, it has also been adopted by other ethnic groups and communities over time, particularly in regions with historical Persian influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Khanum

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

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

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

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