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

Muhammad, 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 Muhammad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Muhammad in America

Muhammad is the 1884th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Muhammad surname appeared 19,076 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Muhammad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Muhammad 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 Muhammad

The surname Muhammad originated in the Arab world during the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic root word "hamd," which means "to praise" or "to glorify." The name itself means "praised one" or "one who is praiseworthy."

Muhammad is closely associated with the Islamic faith, as it is the name of the prophet Muhammad, who was born in Mecca in the late 6th century AD. The prophet's teachings and revelations formed the basis of Islam, and his name became revered among Muslims worldwide.

In the early days of Islam, the name Muhammad was not commonly used as a surname. It was primarily used as a personal name or a title to honor the prophet. However, as Islam spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe and Asia, the name gradually became a surname for those who claimed descent from the prophet or wished to associate themselves with his legacy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Muhammad can be found in the writings of Islamic scholars and historians from the 8th and 9th centuries AD. These works often mentioned individuals with the name Muhammad, along with their lineage and geographical origins.

Over time, the surname Muhammad also became associated with certain regions and communities. For example, in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, the name was more prevalent among those with Arab ancestry or Islamic heritage.

Notable individuals who bore the surname Muhammad include:

1. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi (c. 780 - c. 850 AD), a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and geographer, known for his contributions to algebra and algorithms.

2. Muhammad al-Idrisi (c. 1099 - c. 1166 AD), an Arab geographer, cartographer, and Egyptologist, who created one of the most advanced world maps of his time.

3. Muhammad ibn Battuta (1304 - 1368 AD), a Moroccan scholar and explorer, known for his extensive travels across the medieval Islamic world and beyond.

4. Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703 - 1792 AD), an Arabian religious reformer and founder of the Wahhabi movement, a conservative branch of Sunni Islam.

5. Muhammad Ali (1942 - 2016), an American professional boxer, widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time, who changed his birth name Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.

The surname Muhammad has a rich history and cultural significance, deeply rooted in the Islamic faith and the legacy of the prophet Muhammad. Over the centuries, it has been carried by scholars, explorers, religious leaders, and influential figures across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Muhammad

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

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

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

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