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

Sohail, 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 Sohail surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sohail in America

Sohail is the 26492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sohail surname appeared 921 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 Sohail.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sohail 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 Sohail

The surname "SOHAIL" has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Sahil" which means "flat land" or "coastal region". The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions where Arabic was the predominant language, such as the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, and parts of North Africa.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "SOHAIL" can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the Islamic Golden Age. This period saw a significant expansion of Arabic culture and influence across vast swaths of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe and Asia. It is likely that the name was adopted by individuals who lived or settled in coastal areas or regions with flat terrain.

One of the earliest references to the name "SOHAIL" can be found in the "Kitab al-Aghani" (The Book of Songs), a renowned anthology of Arabic poems and biographies compiled in the early 9th century AD. The book mentions a poet named Sohail ibn Abi Sohail, who lived during the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 AD).

Another notable individual bearing the surname "SOHAIL" was Abu al-Sohail al-Nahwi, a renowned Arabic grammarian and philologist who lived in the 9th century AD. His works on Arabic grammar and linguistics were highly influential in the development of the Arabic language.

In the 11th century, the name appears in the historical chronicles of the Seljuk Empire, where it is mentioned that a commander named Sohail ibn Malik led a contingent of troops during the Seljuk conquest of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey).

During the medieval period, the surname "SOHAIL" was also found in various regions of the Iberian Peninsula, where Arabic culture and language had a significant influence due to the Moorish rule in parts of Spain and Portugal. One notable figure from this era was Sohail ibn Abi al-Rabi, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the 12th century in the city of Seville (Ishbiliyah).

In more recent times, the surname "SOHAIL" has been associated with several influential individuals, including the Pakistani cricketer Sohail Abbas (born 1975), who represented the national team in numerous international tournaments, and Sohail Khan (born 1980), a Pakistani actor and producer known for his work in Bollywood and Lollywood films.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sohail

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

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

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

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