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

Zaidi, 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 Zaidi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Zaidi in America

Zaidi is the 11122nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Zaidi surname appeared 2,851 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Zaidi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Zaidi 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 Zaidi

The surname "ZAIDI" originated in Yemen, tracing its roots back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "Zayd," which means "to increase" or "to grow." The name is closely associated with the Zaidi community, a sub-sect of Shia Islam predominantly found in Yemen.

During the early Islamic era, the Zaidi dynasty ruled parts of Yemen for several centuries. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab scholar and historian, Al-Tabari, who chronicled the events of the Zaidi Imamate in Yemen in the 9th century.

The surname Zaidi became more widespread as the Zaidi community expanded and migrated to other parts of the Middle East and Asia. Notable historical figures bearing this surname include Al-Hadi ila'l-Haqq Yahya bin Al-Husayn (859-911 AD), the founder of the Zaidi state in Yemen, and Al-Mutawakkil Ahmad bin Sulayman (d. 1055 AD), a prominent Zaidi ruler who established the Sulayhid dynasty in Yemen.

In the 12th century, the Zaidi scholar and theologian Al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi (1087-1137 AD) played a significant role in propagating Zaidi teachings and strengthening the community's intellectual foundations. Another renowned figure was Al-Mansur Al-Qasim bin Muhammad (1508-1559 AD), a Zaidi Imam who fought against the Ottoman Empire's attempts to control Yemen.

The surname Zaidi is also closely associated with the city of Saada in northern Yemen, which has been a stronghold of the Zaidi community for centuries. The city's name was often used interchangeably with the surname, and many prominent Zaidi scholars and leaders hailed from this region.

Over time, the surname Zaidi spread beyond Yemen, as members of the community migrated to other parts of the world. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, including India, Pakistan, and parts of East Africa, reflecting the global diaspora of the Zaidi community.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Zaidi

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

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

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

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