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

Seraj, 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 Seraj surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Seraj in America

Seraj is the 71042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Seraj surname appeared 275 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 Seraj.

We can also compare 2010 data for Seraj 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 Seraj

The surname SERAJ has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Persian language. It is derived from the Persian word "seraj," which means "lamp" or "light." The name likely originated in Iran during the medieval period, somewhere between the 7th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest known references to the name SERAJ can be found in the works of the famous Persian poet and philosopher, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, who lived from 1207 to 1273. Rumi's poetry and writings often used metaphors and imagery related to light and illumination, which may have influenced the use of the name SERAJ.

During the Safavid Dynasty in Iran, which lasted from 1501 to 1736, the name SERAJ became more prominent among the Persian nobility and intellectual circles. One notable figure was Mirza Mohammad Reza Seraj, a renowned scholar and calligrapher who lived in the 17th century.

As the Persian Empire expanded its influence across the Middle East and Central Asia, the name SERAJ spread to other regions. In the 18th century, there are records of individuals with the surname SERAJ living in cities like Baghdad, Damascus, and Istanbul.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname SERAJ outside of Iran was Ali Seraj, a prominent merchant and trader who lived in Aleppo, Syria, in the late 17th century. He was known for his extensive trade connections throughout the Ottoman Empire and beyond.

Another notable figure with the surname SERAJ was Mirza Abul Hasan Khan Seraj, a 19th-century Persian diplomat and statesman who served as the ambassador to the Court of St. James in London, representing the Qajar Dynasty of Iran.

In the Indian subcontinent, the name SERAJ has been present since the medieval period, particularly among Muslim communities with Persian cultural influences. One notable individual was Seraj ud-Din Ali Khan, a military commander and nobleman who served under the Mughal Empire in the 17th century.

As the name SERAJ spread across different regions, it also took on various spellings and variations, such as Siraj, Seradj, and Seraje, reflecting local linguistic and cultural adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Seraj

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

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

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

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