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

Naqvi, 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 Naqvi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Naqvi in America

Naqvi is the 15278th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Naqvi surname appeared 1,922 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 Naqvi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Naqvi 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 Naqvi

The surname Naqvi originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region that is now part of modern-day Pakistan. It is an ancient name with roots tracing back to the 7th century AD, during the early Islamic era in the region. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Naqib," which means "chief" or "leader."

In the early days of Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent, the term "Naqib" was used to refer to the leaders or chiefs of various tribes and clans. Those who held this title eventually adopted it as a surname, which eventually evolved into the modern-day spelling of "Naqvi."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and historian, Al-Biruni, who lived in the 11th century. He mentions the Naqvi clan in his accounts of the region's history.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century, the Naqvi surname was particularly prominent among the noble families and scholars of the time. One notable figure was Mirza Aziz Koka Naqvi (1542-1624), a prominent noble and governor during the reign of Akbar the Great.

Another influential Naqvi was Shah Waliullah Naqvi (1703-1762), a renowned Islamic scholar and reformist who played a crucial role in reviving the study of Hadith (the recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) in the region.

In the 19th century, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898), a prominent Muslim philosopher, jurist, and educational reformer, hailed from the Naqvi family. He was a pioneer in advocating for modern education among Muslims in the subcontinent and played a pivotal role in establishing the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later became Aligarh Muslim University.

Other notable figures with the Naqvi surname include Syed Mehmood Naqvi (1909-1986), a renowned Urdu poet and critic, and Fahmida Riaz (1946-2018), a celebrated Pakistani poet, feminist, and human rights activist.

The Naqvi surname has also been associated with various places in the Indian subcontinent, such as Naqvi Tola in Bihar, India, and Naqvi Mohalla in Lahore, Pakistan, suggesting the historical presence and influence of the Naqvi clan in these areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Naqvi

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

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

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

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