Nabi last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Nabi

An Arabic name meaning prophet or messenger.

Nabi, 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 Nabi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Nabi in America

Nabi is the 31383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Nabi surname appeared 738 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 Nabi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Nabi 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 31383 41262 -27.20%
Count 738 498 38.83%
Proportion per 100k 0.25 0.18 32.56%

The history of the last name Nabi

The surname Nabi originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arab world. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "nabi," which means "prophet" or "messenger." This surname likely emerged during the early Islamic period, possibly as early as the 7th or 8th century CE.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nabi can be traced back to historical records and manuscripts from the region, such as genealogical records and court documents. It is possible that the name appeared in some of the earliest Islamic texts or records, given its religious significance.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Nabi was Abu Nabi al-Khurasani, a renowned scholar and jurist who lived in the 9th century CE. He was born in Khurasan, a region spanning parts of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

Another notable figure was Imam Abdul Nabi, a revered Islamic scholar and Sufi saint who lived in the 12th century CE. He was born in Makkah, the holy city of Islam, and is believed to have played a significant role in the spread of Islamic teachings and Sufism in the region.

During the medieval period, the surname Nabi was particularly prevalent in areas with strong Islamic cultural influences, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. It was often associated with families or individuals who had religious or scholarly backgrounds.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Nabi Khan ruled over parts of modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was a military leader and played a crucial role in the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, one of the major Islamic empires in the region.

Another notable individual with the surname Nabi was Muhibb Nabi, a celebrated poet and mystic who lived in the 16th century CE. He was born in Bijapur, a city in present-day Karnataka, India, and his poetic works were widely renowned for their spiritual and mystical themes.

As the centuries passed, the surname Nabi continued to be found in various parts of the world, particularly wherever Muslim communities settled or migrated. It is important to note that the name's prevalence and distribution may have varied over time due to historical events, migrations, and cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Nabi

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

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 Nabi was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 35.37% 261
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 47.83% 353
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 12.20% 90
Hispanic Origin 2.44% 18

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 Nabi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 35.37% 38.55% -8.60%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 47.83% 39.56% 18.93%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 12.20% 16.47% -29.79%
Hispanic 2.44% 2.81% -14.10%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Nabi last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/nabi-surname-popularity/.

"Nabi last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/nabi-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

Nabi last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/nabi-surname-popularity/.

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