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

Siwak, 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 Siwak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Siwak in America

Siwak is the 102688th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Siwak surname appeared 175 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 Siwak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Siwak 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 Siwak

The surname SIWAK is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabian Peninsula. It is an Arabic word that refers to a small twig or stick used for cleaning teeth, a practice known as "miswak" in Arabic. This suggests that the name may have been derived from an occupation or trade related to the production or sale of these teeth-cleaning twigs.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the SIWAK surname can be found in the records of the Mamluk Sultanate, which ruled over parts of the Middle East and North Africa from the 13th to the 16th centuries. In these records, there are references to individuals with the surname SIWAK who held various positions within the Mamluk administration and military.

During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the region, which lasted from the 16th to the early 20th century, the SIWAK surname continued to be present among the population. Several historical figures from this period bore this name, including Abu Bakr al-Siwak, a prominent scholar and jurist who lived in the 17th century and wrote extensively on Islamic law and theology.

The SIWAK surname can also be found in some of the earliest records of Arab settlements in the Americas, particularly in regions with a significant presence of immigrants from the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula. For instance, in the late 19th century, there are records of a family named SIWAK who settled in Detroit, Michigan, and established a successful business importing and selling traditional Middle Eastern goods.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the SIWAK surname. One such figure was Abdullah al-Siwak, a renowned poet and literary critic who lived in the 10th century and was known for his contributions to the development of Arabic literature. Another was Fatima al-Siwak, a pioneering woman scholar and teacher who lived in the 14th century and played a significant role in promoting education for women in the Islamic world.

Other notable individuals with the SIWAK surname include Ahmed al-Siwak, a prominent mathematician and astronomer from the 11th century who made important contributions to the field of spherical trigonometry, and Khalil al-Siwak, a celebrated musician and composer from the 19th century who helped popularize traditional Arabic music across the Middle East.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Siwak

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

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

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

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