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

Tufail, 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 Tufail surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tufail in America

Tufail is the 92719th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tufail surname appeared 198 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 Tufail.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tufail 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 Tufail

The surname TUFAIL is believed to have originated in the Arab world, and its roots can be traced back to the Arabic language. The name is derived from the Arabic word "tufayl," which means "parasite" or "hanger-on." It is likely that the name was originally given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was perceived as dependent on others or living off the generosity of others.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TUFAIL can be found in the historical records of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over a significant portion of the Middle East and North Africa from the 8th to the 13th century. It is believed that a notable figure named Tufail ibn Amr al-Ghanawi, who lived during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mu'tasim (833-842 CE), bore this surname.

In the 12th century, a famous Arab poet and philosopher named Tufail ibn Abi Bakr al-Ishbili, also known as Ibn Tufail, was born in the city of Guadix, which was then part of the Almoravid Empire in present-day Spain. Ibn Tufail is best known for his philosophical novel "Hayy ibn Yaqzan," which explored the theme of human self-discovery and the pursuit of knowledge.

Another notable figure with the surname TUFAIL was Tufail ibn Amr al-Dawsi, who lived during the early days of Islam in the 7th century. He was a prominent Arab poet and is mentioned in various historical accounts for his encounters with the Prophet Muhammad and his role in the spread of Islam.

In the late 19th century, a scholar and poet named Tufail Ahmad Qureshi, born in British India (now Pakistan), gained recognition for his contributions to Urdu literature. He published several works, including a collection of poems titled "Bahar-e-Tufail."

During the 20th century, a Pakistani politician and diplomat named Tufail Muhammad Jawed served as the Governor of the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) from 1971 to 1973.

While the surname TUFAIL has its origins in the Arab world, it has since spread to other regions, particularly in South Asia, where it is commonly found among Muslim communities. However, the name's historical roots and meaning can be traced back to the Arabic language and the early days of Islamic civilization.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tufail

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

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

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

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