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

Kiswani, 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 Kiswani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kiswani in America

Kiswani is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kiswani surname appeared 125 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 Kiswani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kiswani 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 Kiswani

The surname KISWANI is believed to have originated in Kenya, East Africa, possibly as early as the 15th century. It is derived from the Kiswahili word "kiswani," which means "forehead" or "headland." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with a prominent forehead or someone who lived near a prominent headland or coastal area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KISWANI surname dates back to the late 16th century, when a merchant named Ali KISWANI was mentioned in the records of the Portuguese colonial administration in Mombasa. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

During the 19th century, the KISWANI name appears in various historical documents and records related to the Swahili coastal communities along the Indian Ocean. For example, in 1842, a man named Abdallah KISWANI was recorded as a respected elder and advisor to the Sultan of Zanzibar.

In the early 20th century, the KISWANI surname gained prominence with the birth of Mohamed KISWANI (1892-1969), a renowned Swahili poet and writer who made significant contributions to the literary tradition of the Swahili coast. His works, such as the epic poem "Utendi wa Mwana Kupona," are still widely studied and celebrated today.

Another notable figure with the KISWANI surname was Fatuma KISWANI (1905-1988), a Kenyan activist and politician who played a crucial role in the struggle for women's rights and independence from British colonial rule. She was among the first women elected to the Kenyan Parliament in the 1960s.

During the mid-20th century, the KISWANI name also gained recognition through the works of Abdilatif KISWANI (1920-1995), a prominent Tanzanian writer and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Swahili language and literature.

In more recent times, the KISWANI surname has been associated with various influential figures in East Africa, such as Amina KISWANI, a well-known Kenyan businesswoman and philanthropist, and Juma KISWANI, a respected Tanzanian environmentalist and conservationist.

While the KISWANI surname originated in the coastal regions of East Africa, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kiswani

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

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

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

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