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

Rahlan, 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 Rahlan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rahlan in America

Rahlan is the 77522nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rahlan surname appeared 247 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 Rahlan.

The history of the last name Rahlan

The surname Rahlan is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Iran and Iraq. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Persian language, where it may have been derived from a combination of words meaning "traveler" or "wanderer."

One of the earliest documented mentions of the name Rahlan can be found in a collection of Persian poetry from the 9th century CE. It is thought that this was a reference to a nomadic tribe or clan that roamed the arid deserts and mountains of the region at that time.

As the centuries passed, the Rahlan name began to spread across the Middle East and into neighboring regions. In the 12th century, historical records show a prominent merchant named Rashid al-Rahlan who established trade routes between the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule in the 16th century, the name Rahlan appeared in several administrative documents and tax records from the provinces of Mesopotamia and Anatolia. This suggests that families bearing this surname had settled in these areas and were engaged in various professions and trades.

One notable individual with the Rahlan surname was Yusuf al-Rahlan, a renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher who lived in the 14th century. He authored several influential works on theology, ethics, and jurisprudence, and his teachings were widely studied throughout the Islamic world.

Another prominent figure was Fatima al-Rahlan, a skilled poet and calligrapher who lived in the 17th century. Her poetry and calligraphic works were highly regarded and are still preserved in various museums and libraries across the Middle East.

In the 19th century, the Rahlan surname became more widespread as families migrated to different parts of the region and beyond. One such individual was Ahmed al-Rahlan, a renowned explorer and cartographer who documented his travels across the Arabian Peninsula and produced detailed maps of the region.

As the name Rahlan spread to different parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities, it has taken on various spellings and variations, such as Rahlen, Rahlani, and Rahlaan. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient lands of Persia and Mesopotamia, where it first emerged as a distinctive surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rahlan

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

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 Rahlan 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.

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!