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

Mahmud, 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 Mahmud surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mahmud in America

Mahmud is the 17176th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mahmud surname appeared 1,649 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 Mahmud.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mahmud 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 Mahmud

The surname MAHMUD originated from the Arabic name Muhammad, which means "praiseworthy" or "blessed." It is believed to have first emerged in the Middle East during the 7th century AD, around the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

The name MAHMUD gained widespread popularity throughout the Islamic world, particularly in areas such as Persia (modern-day Iran), Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It was often used as a personal name or a title for rulers and noblemen.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MAHMUD can be found in the Shahnameh, an epic Persian poem written by the poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. The poem mentions a ruler named Mahmud of Ghazni, who reigned from 998 to 1030 AD and was known for his military conquests and patronage of the arts.

In the 11th century, the name MAHMUD appeared in various manuscripts and historical records from the Seljuk Empire, which spanned parts of modern-day Turkey, Iran, and Central Asia. During this period, the name was often associated with prominent figures, such as Mahmud I, the Sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire from 1092 to 1094.

As the Islamic empires expanded, the name MAHMUD spread across the region, and variations of the spelling emerged, such as Mahmood, Mehmood, and Mehmut. These variations were influenced by local dialects and languages, including Persian, Turkish, and Urdu.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname MAHMUD include:

1. Mahmud Ghaznavi (971-1030), the Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire and a renowned patron of arts and literature.
2. Mahmud Shah I (1453-1511), the Sultan of Gujarat and a prominent ruler during the Muzaffarid dynasty.
3. Mahmud Bey (1769-1838), an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire.
4. Mahmud Shevket Pasha (1856-1913), an Ottoman military leader and statesman who played a significant role in the Young Turk Revolution.
5. Mahmud Sami al-Barudi (1839-1904), an Egyptian poet and playwright who contributed to the revival of Arabic literature during the Nahda period.

The surname MAHMUD has been associated with various place names and geographical locations throughout history, reflecting the widespread influence of Islamic culture and the migration patterns of people bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mahmud

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

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

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

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