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

Mousavi, 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 Mousavi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Mousavi in America

Mousavi is the 63698th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Mousavi surname appeared 313 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 Mousavi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Mousavi 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 Mousavi

The surname Mousavi is of Persian origin and can be traced back to the 10th century AD in the region of modern-day Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "Moosavi," which means "descendant of Moses." The name is believed to have originated as a title or honorific bestowed upon those who claimed direct lineage from the Prophet Moses.

In the early Islamic era, the city of Qom in central Iran became a center of religious learning and a hub for scholars and descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Many families in this region adopted the surname Mousavi as a way to assert their religious heritage and connection to the Islamic faith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mousavi can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian scholar and poet, Ferdowsi, who lived from 940 to 1020 AD. In his epic poem, the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi makes reference to several individuals bearing the surname Mousavi, indicating its widespread use during that time period.

Throughout the centuries, the Mousavi family has produced numerous influential figures in various fields. One notable example is Mir Hossein Mousavi, a prominent Iranian politician and scholar who was born in 1942. He served as the Prime Minister of Iran from 1981 to 1989 and was a leading figure in the Iranian Green Movement, a pro-democracy movement that emerged in the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election.

Another prominent Mousavi was Ayatollah Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Revolution and the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Born in 1902, Khomeini played a pivotal role in overthrowing the Pahlavi dynasty and establishing an Islamic government in Iran.

In the realm of literature, the 13th-century Persian poet and mystic, Farid al-Din Attar, who was born in Nishapur, is believed to have had the surname Mousavi. His seminal work, the Conference of the Birds, is considered a masterpiece of Persian literature and has influenced generations of writers and thinkers.

Zayn al-Abidin Mousavi, born in 1906, was a renowned Iranian scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of Islamic philosophy and jurisprudence. His works, which explored the relationship between reason and revelation, have had a lasting impact on Islamic thought and discourse.

The surname Mousavi has also been associated with various place names in Iran, such as the town of Mousavi-Abad in the province of Ardabil. This town, which dates back to the 16th century, was likely named after a prominent Mousavi family that resided in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Mousavi

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

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

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

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