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

Shamim, 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 Shamim surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shamim in America

Shamim is the 44730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shamim surname appeared 480 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 Shamim.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shamim 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 Shamim

The surname SHAMIM originates from the Arabic language and is believed to have its roots in the Middle East, particularly in regions that were part of the Islamic caliphates during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Shamim," which means "fragrant" or "aromatic," and is often associated with pleasant smells or aromas.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname SHAMIM can be traced back to the 10th century, when it appeared in various historical records and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is the "Kitab al-Ansab" (Book of Genealogies) written by the Arab historian and genealogist, Al-Sam'ani, who lived from 1113 to 1166 CE. This work includes references to individuals bearing the surname SHAMIM, indicating its usage during that time period.

In the 12th century, the surname SHAMIM is found in the "Muqaddimah" (Introduction), a historical work by the renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE). This suggests that the name was prevalent among Arabic-speaking populations and may have been associated with certain professions or trades related to perfumes or aromatics.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname SHAMIM was Abu Bakr al-Shamim (born around 1050 CE), a renowned scholar and poet from Baghdad who was renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature and poetry. Another notable figure was Zayn al-Din al-Shamim (1197-1267 CE), a prominent Islamic jurist and scholar from Damascus, who wrote extensively on Islamic law and jurisprudence.

During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over vast territories in the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe from the 14th to the 20th centuries, the surname SHAMIM continued to be found among various communities. One notable individual from this period was Mehmet Shamim Efendi (1595-1662 CE), a talented calligrapher and poet who served as the head of the Imperial Ottoman Calligraphy School in Istanbul.

In the Indian subcontinent, where Arabic culture and influence were prevalent due to the spread of Islam, the surname SHAMIM can be traced back to the 16th century. One prominent figure was Mir Abdul Shamim (1560-1630 CE), a renowned Sufi poet and scholar who wrote extensively in Persian and Arabic, and was associated with the Mughal court of Emperor Akbar.

As the name SHAMIM spread across different regions and cultures, it underwent various spelling variations and adaptations. Some examples include Shameem, Shammim, and Shammeem, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the areas where it was adopted.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shamim

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

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

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

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