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

Syed, 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 Syed surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Syed in America

Syed is the 3657th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Syed surname appeared 9,722 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Syed.

We can also compare 2010 data for Syed 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 Syed

The surname SYED originated in the Middle East, with its roots traced back to the 7th century CE in the Arabian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Sayyid," which means "lord" or "master." It was initially used as an honorific title for those who claimed direct descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson Husayn ibn Ali.

The earliest recorded instances of the SYED surname can be found in various Arabic manuscripts and historical records from the early Islamic era. One notable example is the work of the famous Arab historian and genealogist, Ibn Hazm, who lived from 994 to 1064 CE. In his book, "Jamharat Ansab al-Arab" (The Genealogies of the Arab Tribes), he mentioned several individuals bearing the SYED surname.

During the medieval period, the SYED surname gained prominence as it became associated with influential families and prominent figures in the Islamic world. One such notable individual was Syed Jalaluddin Bukhari, a renowned Sufi scholar and mystic who lived from 1209 to 1292 CE. He was born in Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan, and is revered for his spiritual teachings and contributions to Islamic literature.

As the Islamic empires expanded, the SYED surname spread to various regions, including the Indian subcontinent. In India, the name became closely tied to the Mughal dynasty, which ruled from the 16th to the 19th century. Several members of the Mughal royal family bore the SYED surname, including Prince Syed Muhammad Jahandar Shah, who briefly ruled as the Mughal Emperor from 1712 to 1713.

Another famous figure with the SYED surname was Syed Ahmad Barelvi, a influential Islamic scholar and revivalist who lived from 1786 to 1831. He played a significant role in the Islamic reform movement in South Asia and is remembered for his efforts to revive Islamic teachings and practices.

In more recent history, notable individuals with the SYED surname include Syed Ameer Ali, an Indian-British lawyer, jurist, and philosopher who lived from 1849 to 1928. He was a prominent figure in the intellectual and political circles of his time and made significant contributions to the fields of law, politics, and literature.

The SYED surname has also been associated with various place names and regions over the centuries. For example, the town of Saidanpur in Uttar Pradesh, India, is believed to have derived its name from the presence of SYED families in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Syed

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

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

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

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