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

Kilani, 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 Kilani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kilani in America

Kilani is the 139228th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kilani surname appeared 120 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 Kilani.

The history of the last name Kilani

The surname Kilani has its origins in the Arabic language, deriving from the word "Kilani" which means "from Kelan" or "from Kilan." Kelan or Kilan is a town in Yemen, specifically located in the Hadhramaut Governorate. The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 10th and 14th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Kilani can be traced back to various historical documents and manuscripts from the Arabian Peninsula and the broader Middle East region. One notable example is the mention of individuals bearing this name in the records of the Mamluk Sultanate, which ruled over Egypt, Syria, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula from the 13th to the 16th centuries.

Over the centuries, the surname Kilani has been associated with several prominent figures from various fields. One such individual is Ahmad al-Kilani, born in 1466 in Kelan, Yemen. He was a renowned Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic who founded the Qadiri Sufi order in Yemen. His teachings and writings had a significant influence on the spiritual and intellectual landscape of the region.

Another notable bearer of the Kilani surname is Abdallah al-Kilani, a 16th-century Arab navigator and explorer from Yemen. He is known for his maritime voyages and contributions to the development of navigation techniques and cartography during the Golden Age of Arab and Islamic civilization.

In the realm of literature, the name Kilani is associated with the 19th-century Arab poet and scholar, Mahmoud al-Kilani. Born in 1836 in Damascus, Syria, he was renowned for his poetic works and his contributions to the preservation and study of Arabic literature and language.

The surname Kilani has also been carried by prominent figures in modern times, such as Abdallah al-Kilani, a Yemeni diplomat and politician who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Yemen in the 1960s.

It is important to note that while the surname Kilani has its roots in the Arabian Peninsula, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origins and early uses of this surname, tracing its lineage back to the medieval period and its connections to notable individuals throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kilani

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

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 Kilani 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.

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

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

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