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

Tahan, 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 Tahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tahan in America

Tahan is the 48160th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tahan surname appeared 439 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 Tahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tahan 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 Tahan

The surname Tahan originates from the Arabic language and is believed to have its roots in the Middle East, particularly in regions that are now part of modern-day Iran and Iraq. The name can be traced back to the 9th century AD, during the Abbasid Caliphate, a prominent Islamic dynasty that ruled over a vast territory spanning from North Africa to Central Asia.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Tahan can be found in ancient Persian manuscripts dating back to the 10th century. These manuscripts often referred to individuals with the surname Tahan as skilled artisans, craftsmen, or merchants who were involved in trade and commerce within the Silk Road network that connected the East and West.

The surname Tahan is thought to be derived from the Persian word "tahan," which means "strong" or "powerful." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to individuals who possessed physical strength or held positions of authority within their communities.

During the 12th century, the name Tahan appeared in various historical records, including those of the Seljuk Empire, a medieval Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire that controlled a vast region stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf.

One notable figure bearing the surname Tahan was Abu al-Qasim al-Tahan, a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 12th century. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and wrote several treatises on astronomy and astrology.

In the 14th century, during the reign of the Timurid Empire, which was established by the Central Asian conqueror Timur (also known as Tamerlane), the surname Tahan gained further prominence. Historical records from this period mention several individuals with the surname Tahan who held influential positions within the Timurid court and administration.

Another notable figure with the surname Tahan was Shaikh Ahmad al-Tahan, a Sufi mystic and poet who lived in the 16th century. His poetic works, which celebrated the mystical teachings of Sufism, were widely celebrated and continue to be studied and admired to this day.

Over the centuries, the surname Tahan has spread across various regions, including parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It has also been associated with various place names and localities, such as Tahan Village in Iran and Tahan Town in Afghanistan.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tahan

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

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

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

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