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

Kidwai, 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 Kidwai surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kidwai in America

Kidwai is the 73911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kidwai surname appeared 262 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 Kidwai.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kidwai 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 Kidwai

The surname KIDWAI has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Uttar Pradesh in northern India. It is believed to have emerged during the Mughal era, which spanned from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

KIDWAI is derived from the Persian word "Kidwai," which means "one who takes care of the household" or "steward." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who held administrative or managerial roles within households or estates.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the KIDWAI surname can be found in historical documents and records from the Mughal period. For example, the name appears in the administrative archives of the Mughal Empire, indicating that individuals with this surname held positions within the imperial bureaucracy.

One of the notable figures bearing the KIDWAI surname was Rafi Ahmad Kidwai, a prominent Muslim scholar and writer who lived in the 19th century. He was born in 1835 and is renowned for his contributions to Urdu literature, particularly his works on Islamic theology and philosophy.

Another prominent individual with the KIDWAI surname was Rafi Ahmad Kidwai's son, Shaukat Ali Kidwai, who was a distinguished educationist and social reformer. He was born in 1878 and played a significant role in the establishment of educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh, promoting modern education among Muslim communities.

In the 20th century, the KIDWAI surname gained further recognition through the contributions of Rafi Ahmad Kidwai's grandson, Rafi Ahmad Kidwai II. Born in 1894, he was a prominent politician and statesman who served as the first Muslim governor of the Madras Presidency (now Tamil Nadu) after India's independence.

Another notable figure was Begum Saeeda Anees Kidwai, born in 1892, who was a prominent educationist and social worker. She played a crucial role in promoting women's education and empowerment in India.

The KIDWAI surname has also been associated with various place names in Uttar Pradesh, such as Kidwai Nagar, a locality in Lucknow, and Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, a renowned cancer treatment center named after Rafi Ahmad Kidwai II.

While the KIDWAI surname has its roots in India, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its historical significance remains deeply rooted in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in the regions of Uttar Pradesh and the legacy of the Mughal Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kidwai

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

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

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

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