Find out how popular the last name Shamoun is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shamoun.
An Arabic surname meaning "exalted" or "highly respected."
Shamoun, 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 Shamoun surname is from the 2010 census data.
Shamoun is the 28498th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Shamoun surname appeared 837 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 Shamoun.
We can also compare 2010 data for Shamoun 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 28498 | 38524 | -29.92% |
Count | 837 | 540 | 43.14% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.20 | 33.33% |
The surname Shamoun is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "shammun" which means "fennel" or "anise" in Arabic. It is a descriptive surname that likely originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions where Arabic was the predominant language.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Shamoun can be traced back to the 11th century. Historical records from this period mention individuals bearing this name in various parts of the Middle East, including present-day Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.
One notable early reference to the name Shamoun is found in a manuscript dating back to the 12th century, which documented the travels of a merchant family with this surname through the Silk Road trade routes. This manuscript provides valuable insights into the lives and experiences of those bearing the Shamoun name during that era.
In the 14th century, the Shamoun family established a prominent presence in the city of Damascus, Syria. Records from this time period indicate that members of the Shamoun family held influential positions in trade and commerce, contributing to the city's economic prosperity.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Middle East, the Shamoun surname continued to be prevalent in various regions. One notable figure from this period was Ibrahim Shamoun, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in the 16th century. His works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, remain influential in Arabic literature to this day.
As the centuries progressed, the Shamoun surname spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. In the 19th century, Khalil Shamoun, a merchant from Lebanon, established a successful trading business in Egypt, where he and his descendants left a lasting impact on the local community.
Another notable individual with the Shamoun surname was Camille Shamoun, a Lebanese politician and statesman who served as the President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958. He played a crucial role in shaping the country's political landscape during a tumultuous period in its history.
The Shamoun surname has also been carried by individuals in various other fields, such as academia, art, and literature. One example is Nabil Shamoun, a contemporary Lebanese writer and poet whose works explore themes of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage.
While the surname Shamoun has its roots in the Middle East, it has since been adopted and embraced by people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the rich cultural tapestry of the regions where it has been present throughout history.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shamoun.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shamoun was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 90.92% | 761 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 1.08% | 9 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 5.02% | 42 |
Hispanic Origin | 2.63% | 22 |
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 Shamoun has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 90.92% | 86.67% | 4.79% |
Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.08% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 5.02% | 10.00% | -66.31% |
Hispanic | 2.63% | 2.59% | 1.53% |
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 Shamoun was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shamoun, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/shamoun-surname-popularity/">Shamoun last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Shamoun last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 3, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/shamoun-surname-popularity/.
"Shamoun last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/shamoun-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 June, 2025
Shamoun last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/shamoun-surname-popularity/.
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