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

Shah, 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 Shah surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shah in America

Shah is the 573rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shah surname appeared 58,287 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 20 people would have the surname Shah.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shah 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 Shah

The surname Shah originates from the Persian language and is believed to have its roots dating back to the ancient Persian Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from modern-day Iran to parts of Central Asia and the Middle East between the 6th century BCE and 7th century CE.

The word "Shah" itself is derived from the Old Persian word "Xšāyaθiya," which means "king" or "sovereign." It was initially used as a title for the Persian monarchs and later evolved into a surname for individuals associated with royalty or those in positions of power and authority.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Shah can be found in ancient Persian inscriptions and manuscripts dating back to the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BCE). One notable example is the Behistun Inscription, carved into the rock face of Mount Behistun in modern-day Iran during the reign of King Darius I (522-486 BCE).

The surname gained prominence during the Sassanid Empire (224-651 CE), when it became more widely adopted by members of the ruling class and nobility. One of the most famous individuals bearing the surname Shah from this period was Khosrow I, also known as Anushirvan the Just (531-579 CE), who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Persian rulers.

During the Islamic period, the surname Shah continued to be associated with royalty and aristocracy, particularly among the ruling dynasties of various Persian empires, such as the Safavids (1501-1736 CE) and the Qajars (1785-1925 CE). Notable figures from this era include Shah Ismail I (1487-1524 CE), the founder of the Safavid dynasty, and Nader Shah Afshar (1688-1747 CE), a powerful military leader who briefly ruled over a vast empire stretching from the Caucasus to the Indian subcontinent.

Outside of Persia, the surname Shah also became prevalent in regions that were influenced by Persian culture and language, such as parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Caucasus region. For example, the Mughal Empire (1526-1857 CE) in the Indian subcontinent was ruled by a dynasty that traced its lineage back to the Timurids and frequently used the title "Shah" in their names, such as Shah Jahan (1592-1666 CE), the builder of the Taj Mahal.

In modern times, the surname Shah continues to be widely used in various parts of the world, particularly among individuals of Persian, Central Asian, or South Asian descent. Some notable individuals with the surname Shah include the late Idries Shah (1924-1996 CE), a renowned writer and scholar of Sufism, and the celebrated Indian musician and composer Ravi Shankar (1920-2012 CE).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shah

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shah, 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!