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

Wahby, 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 Wahby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wahby in America

Wahby is the 97671st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wahby surname appeared 186 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 Wahby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wahby 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 Wahby

The surname WAHBY is believed to have originated in the Middle East, likely in the region now known as Lebanon or Syria. The name's roots can be traced back to the Arabic word "wahbi," which means "gift of God" or "divine gift." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who were considered blessings or gifts from God.

During the medieval period, the WAHBY name gained prominence in the Levant region, particularly in cities like Beirut and Damascus. It is possible that the name was associated with religious or scholarly figures, as many surnames were derived from occupations or titles during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WAHBY name can be found in the chronicles of the Crusades, where a figure known as "Wahby al-Dimashqi" (WAHBY of Damascus) is mentioned as a prominent scholar and advisor to the ruling dynasty in the 12th century.

In the 14th century, a manuscript from the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and Syria references a merchant named "Ahmad WAHBY," who was involved in the lucrative spice trade between the Middle East and Europe. This provides evidence of the WAHBY name's presence in the region's commercial circles during that era.

Notable individuals with the WAHBY surname include:

1. Khalil WAHBY (1871-1942), a prominent Egyptian writer, journalist, and political activist who played a significant role in the country's nationalist movement.
2. Farid WAHBY (1888-1951), a renowned Egyptian composer and musician who contributed greatly to the development of Arabic music in the early 20th century.
3. Leila WAHBY (1905-1994), an Egyptian actress and singer who was a pioneer in the Egyptian film industry and was known for her performances in both dramatic and comedic roles.
4. Ziad WAHBY (born 1952), a Lebanese-American businessman and philanthropist who has made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and educational institutions.
5. Nabil WAHBY (born 1964), a Syrian-American author and academic whose works focus on Middle Eastern history and culture.

The WAHBY name has also been associated with various place names and localities in the Middle East, such as the town of Wahbiyah in Lebanon and the Wadi Wahby region in Saudi Arabia. These place names may have derived from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the deep-rooted connection between the WAHBY name and the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wahby

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

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

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

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