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

Semien, 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 Semien surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Semien in America

Semien is the 22026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Semien surname appeared 1,177 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 Semien.

We can also compare 2010 data for Semien 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 Semien

The surname SEMIEN originated in Ethiopia, specifically in the Semien Mountains, a massif in northern Ethiopia. The name is believed to have derived from the Semitic language spoken by the people inhabiting that region.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, during the reign of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. It is mentioned in several historical manuscripts and chronicles from that era, often referring to individuals who held prominent positions within the royal court or the military.

In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing the name SEMIEN was Yeshaq Semien, a celebrated scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the development of Ethiopian literature and education. He was born in the Semien region around 1420 and is credited with translating numerous works from Arabic to Ge'ez, the ancient language of Ethiopia.

Another prominent individual with the surname SEMIEN was Amha Semien, a military leader and nobleman who lived in the late 16th century. He played a crucial role in defending the Ethiopian empire against the Ottoman Empire's invasion attempts during that period.

During the 17th century, the SEMIEN name was associated with several monastic communities and religious figures in the Semien Mountains. One notable example was Abba Tekle Semien, a renowned monk and spiritual leader who established several monasteries in the region and authored several religious texts.

In the 19th century, Ras Semien Guadet was a influential nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the unification of Ethiopia under Emperor Tewodros II. He was born in the Semien region around 1820 and was renowned for his bravery and loyalty to the emperor.

The name SEMIEN has also been associated with various place names within the Semien Mountains, such as Semien Gonka, Semien Amba, and Semien Awraja, reflecting the strong connection between the surname and the geographical region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Semien

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

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

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

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