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

Mahmoud, 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 Mahmoud surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahmoud in America

Mahmoud is the 9709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahmoud surname appeared 3,342 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Mahmoud.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mahmoud 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 Mahmoud

The surname Mahmoud is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the early Islamic period, around the 7th century AD. The name is derived from the Arabic word "mahmud," which means "praised" or "praiseworthy." It is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of modern-day Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states.

In the early days of Islam, the name Mahmoud was commonly used as a given name, often bestowed upon male children as a way to express the parents' desire for their child to be praised and admired. Over time, the name became more widely adopted as a surname, particularly among Arab families.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mahmoud can be found in the historical chronicles of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over vast territories in the Middle East and North Africa from the 8th to the 13th century. During this period, several prominent figures bore the surname, including the renowned poet and scholar Abu Al-Qasim Mahmoud Al-Zamakhshari (1075-1144), who made significant contributions to Arabic literature and linguistics.

The surname Mahmoud also appeared in various historical manuscripts and records from the Mamluk Sultanate, which ruled over Egypt, Syria, and parts of the Levant from the 13th to the 16th century. One notable figure from this era was Sultan Al-Malik Al-Mahmoud (1349-1361), who ascended to the throne of the Mamluk Sultanate at a young age and is remembered for his efforts to promote education and cultural development.

As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes flourished, the surname Mahmoud spread to other regions, including parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. In the 16th century, the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1542-1605) had a courtier named Mahmoud Beg, who served as a military commander and is mentioned in several historical accounts.

Another prominent figure associated with the surname Mahmoud was the Ottoman Sufi poet and scholar, Mahmoud Abdulbaki (1551-1600), who was renowned for his mystical poetry and contributions to Islamic theology. His works continue to be widely studied and appreciated in the Turkish and Persian cultural spheres.

Throughout history, the surname Mahmoud has been borne by numerous individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including scholars, poets, rulers, and military leaders. While this is not an exhaustive list, some other notable figures with the surname Mahmoud include the 19th-century Egyptian politician and reformer Muhammad Mahmoud Pasha (1837-1892), the Syrian-born American writer Ameen Rihani (1876-1940), and the Palestinian poet and activist Mahmoud Darwish (1941-2008).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahmoud

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

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

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

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