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

Ünal, 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 Ünal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ünal in America

Ünal is the 71478th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ünal surname appeared 273 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 Ünal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ünal 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 Ünal

The surname UNAL has its origins in Turkey, tracing back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Turkish word "un" meaning flour, suggesting a possible connection to a miller or someone involved in the flour trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname UNAL can be found in Ottoman Empire records from the late 15th century, particularly in the regions of Anatolia and the Balkans. Some variation in spelling, such as UNAL, ÜNAL, and ÜNALI, can be found in these historical documents.

In the 16th century, the surname UNAL appeared in various Ottoman administrative records and tax registers, indicating its presence among the population at the time. One notable mention is in the Defter-i Mufassal, a detailed tax register compiled during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566).

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname UNAL continued to be documented in various Ottoman records, including court proceedings, property deeds, and trade documents. This suggests that the name was well-established among both urban and rural populations.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname UNAL was Mehmet UNAL, a merchant from Ankara who lived in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Hüseyin UNAL, a scholar and poet from Bursa, who lived in the early 17th century.

In the 19th century, as the Ottoman Empire underwent reforms, the surname UNAL became more widely documented in official records and population registers. During this period, several individuals with this surname gained prominence, such as Ahmet UNAL (1835-1912), a statesman and diplomat who served as the Ottoman ambassador to several European countries.

Throughout the 20th century, the surname UNAL continued to be prevalent in Turkey. Some notable individuals with this surname include Turgut UNAL (1919-2003), a prominent Turkish writer and journalist, and Nihan UNAL (born 1977), a successful actress and TV personality.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ünal

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

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

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

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