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

Tehrani, 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 Tehrani surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tehrani in America

Tehrani is the 20843rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tehrani surname appeared 1,266 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 Tehrani.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tehrani 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 Tehrani

The surname TEHRANI has its origins in Iran, deriving from the city of Tehran, the capital and largest city of the country. The name likely emerged during the medieval period when surnames were becoming more common, with individuals adopting place names to distinguish themselves.

The name TEHRANI is a locative surname, indicating that the original bearers of the name hailed from Tehran or the surrounding region. The name is based on the Persian word "Tehran," which itself has roots in the Middle Persian term "Tir," meaning "arrow," potentially referring to the city's historical significance as a military outpost.

Historical records suggest that the name TEHRANI can be traced back to the 11th century, with mentions of individuals bearing the surname in Persian manuscripts and chronicles from that time period. One notable early figure was Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī, a renowned scholar and polymath who lived from 973 to 1048 CE and was referred to as "al-Tehrani" in some texts, indicating his connection to the city.

In the 13th century, during the Mongol invasions of Persia, the city of Tehran gained strategic importance, and its prominence likely contributed to the further spread and recognition of the TEHRANI surname. The name appears in various historical documents from this period, including tax records and legal contracts.

Over the centuries, the TEHRANI surname has been borne by numerous influential figures in Iranian history, including:

1. Mirza Mohammad Khan Qizilbash Tehrani (1640-1722), a prominent military commander and governor during the Safavid dynasty.
2. Mirza Shafi'i Tehrani (1785-1848), a renowned Shia scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to Islamic jurisprudence.
3. Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tehrani (1834-1903), a prominent religious leader and author of numerous works on Islamic theology and ethics.
4. Abdollah Tehrani (1903-1964), a celebrated Iranian painter and calligrapher who helped revive traditional Persian art forms.
5. Allameh Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Tabatabai Tehrani (1892-1981), a highly influential Islamic philosopher, scholar, and exegete of the Quran.

The surname TEHRANI has also been associated with various place names and older spellings throughout its history, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where it has been present. These include variations like "Tahrāni," "Tehrāni," and "Tehrāni," among others.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tehrani

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

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

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

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