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

Samnani, 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 Samnani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Samnani in America

Samnani is the 116201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Samnani surname appeared 150 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 Samnani.

The history of the last name Samnani

The surname Samnani originates from the Indian subcontinent, specifically from the region now known as Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the 11th century CE, when the Ghaznavid Empire ruled over parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwestern India. The name is derived from the Persian word "Samnān," which refers to a historical city and region in northeastern Iran.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Samnani can be traced back to the writings of medieval Persian scholars and poets. One notable example is the renowned Sufi poet and mystic, Hakim Sanayi Ghaznawi (1080-1131 CE), who was born in Ghazna (modern-day Afghanistan) and is often referred to as "Samnani" due to his association with the city of Samnān.

During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century, the Samnani surname gained prominence among the Muslim nobility and intellectual circles. One prominent figure from this era was Mir Samnani (1515-1588), a celebrated Persian poet and scholar who served as a courtier under the Mughal Emperor Akbar.

In the 18th century, the Samnani family played a significant role in the establishment of the Durrani Empire in present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ahmad Shah Durrani (1722-1772), the founder of the empire, had close ties with the Samnani clan, and several members of the family held influential positions in his court.

Another notable figure with the Samnani surname was Maulana Syed Altaf Hussain Hali Samnani (1837-1914), a renowned Muslim poet, scholar, and a pioneer of the literary renaissance in South Asia. He was born in the village of Panipat, in what is now the Indian state of Haryana, and his works played a crucial role in the revival of Urdu literature.

Throughout the centuries, the Samnani surname has been associated with various regions and place names in South Asia, such as Samnan, Samnagar, and Samnapur, reflecting the migrations and settlements of families bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Samnani

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

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

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

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