Explore the Family Name Abdul

The meaning of Abdul

Muslim: from an Arabic personal name based on ʿabd ul ‘servant of the […]’ (literally ‘slave of the […]’), a variant of ʿabd al (see Abdel). In Arabic personal names ʿAbdul is normally a component of a compound name referring to an attribute of Allah, for example ʿAbdul-Ḥakīm ‘servant of the All-Wise’. Traditionally, these attribute names are 99 in number, and are known as the ‘most beautiful names’. Compare Abdool. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Rashid, Mohamed, Mohammed, Abdul, Ali, Amir, Kadir, Karim, Rahman, Sadiq, Samad, Wahid.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Abdul in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Abdul' saw an increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank improved from 17,153 in 2000 to 14,950 in 2010, indicating an upward shift by 12.84 percent. Also, the count of individuals carrying the 'Abdul' surname grew from 1,525 to 1,978 during this period, representing a considerable growth of 29.7 percent. In terms of proportion per 100,000 people, the name 'Abdul' swelled from 0.57 to 0.67, marking an augmentation of 17.54 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#17,153#14,95012.84%
Count1,5251,97829.7%
Proportion per 100k0.570.6717.54%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Abdul

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Abdul'. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a noticeable upsurge in the Asian/Pacific Islander category, increasing by 18.65 percent. The Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories also experienced significant growths of 90.76 percent and 145.45 percent respectively. However, the Two or more races category saw a substantial decline by 60.34 percent. The percentages of White and Black identities associated with the 'Abdul' surname rose by 16.41 percent and 11.06 percent respectively over the decade.

20002010Change
Black32%35.54%11.06%
Asian/Pacific Islander23.48%27.86%18.65%
White18.89%21.99%16.41%
Two or More Races22.82%9.05%-60.34%
Hispanic2.49%4.75%90.76%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.33%0.81%145.45%