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

Shammas, 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 Shammas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shammas in America

Shammas is the 39717th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shammas surname appeared 553 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 Shammas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shammas 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 Shammas

The surname Shammas has its origins in the Arabic language, derived from the word "shammās" which means "server" or "deacon". This name is believed to have emerged in the Middle East, particularly in regions with significant Arab populations, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shammas surname can be found in historical documents from the 13th century, where it was used to refer to individuals who served in religious institutions or held positions within the church hierarchy. The name was initially adopted by those who performed duties such as assisting priests, maintaining church property, or providing various services within religious communities.

During the Islamic Golden Age, the name Shammas gained prominence as it was associated with scholars, scribes, and individuals involved in intellectual and cultural pursuits. Several notable figures bearing this surname made significant contributions to fields such as mathematics, astronomy, and literature.

One prominent individual with the Shammas surname was Abu al-Fath Abd al-Rahman al-Shammas, a 12th-century mathematician and astronomer from Baghdad. His works on spherical trigonometry and astronomical calculations were highly influential during his time.

Another notable figure was Ibn al-Shammas, a 14th-century poet and literary scholar from Damascus. His poetry collection, known as the "Diwan of Ibn al-Shammas," is considered a significant work in Arabic literature.

In the 16th century, the Shammas surname was also found in records from the Ottoman Empire, where individuals with this name held various administrative and religious positions within the Islamic caliphate.

The name Shammas can be traced back to several place names in the Middle East, such as the town of Shammas in present-day Syria, and the village of Shammas in Lebanon. These locations likely played a role in the dissemination of the surname across the region.

Over the centuries, the Shammas surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Shamas, Shammash, and Shamesh, reflecting the diverse linguistic influences and regional dialects within the Arab world.

It is worth noting that while the surname Shammas has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, this detailed history primarily focuses on the origins and early historical references of the Shammas surname in its region of origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shammas

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

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

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

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