Explore the Family Name Islam
The meaning of Islam
1. Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic islām ‘peace’, the Arabic name of the religion of Muslims. Islām is mentioned in several places in the Koran, for example at 3:19 ‘Religion with Allah is Islām (peace)’ and 5:3 ‘I have chosen for you Islām (peace) as religion’. This name is often found in combinations, e.g. Nūr al-Islām ‘light of Islam’. 2. Turkish (İslam): ornamental name from İslam ‘Islam; Muslim’. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammed, Mohammad, Nurul, Rafiqul, Nazrul, Muhammad, Shahidul, Saiful, Shafiqul, Kazi, Mohamed, Syed.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Islam in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Islam has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name shot up from 5369 in 2000 to 3354 in 2010, marking a 37.53% change. Additionally, the count of individuals bearing this surname jumped from 5967 to 10670 during the same period, indicating a substantial growth of 78.82%. The proportion per 100k also increased by 63.8%, from 2.21 to 3.62, showing a marked rise in the prevalence of this surname across the country.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,369 | #3,354 | 37.53% |
| Count | 5,967 | 10,670 | 78.82% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.21 | 3.62 | 63.8% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Islam
In terms of ethnicity, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there was a notable shift in the distribution of ethnic identities associated with the surname Islam between 2000 and 2010. The prevalence among those identified as Asian/Pacific Islander rose by 16.31%, from 75.47% to 87.78%. However, the proportions of other ethnicities saw a decline during this period. The percentage of individuals with this surname identifying as two or more races dropped by 71.61%, from 11.73% to 3.33%. Similarly, there were decreases in the White (-25.11%), Hispanic (-25.34%), and Black (-38.25%) populations with this surname. A minor increase was observed amongst American Indian and Alaskan Native populations, with a change of 4.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 75.47% | 87.78% | 16.31% |
| Black | 6.3% | 3.89% | -38.25% |
| White | 4.58% | 3.43% | -25.11% |
| Two or More Races | 11.73% | 3.33% | -71.61% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 1.09% | -25.34% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.47% | 0.49% | 4.26% |
Islam ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Islam is Bengali & Northeast Indian, which comprises 77.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Northern Indian & Pakistani (7.1%) and British & Irish (2.1%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, Southern Indian & Sri Lankan, French & German, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 77.4% |
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 7.1% |
| British & Irish | 2.1% |
| Other | 13.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Islam
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Islam have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Bangladesh, and Pakistan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Dhaka Division, Bangladesh | 40.90% |
| Sylhet Division, Bangladesh | 34.90% |
| Chittagong Division, Bangladesh | 23.50% |
| Punjab, Pakistan | 6.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 4.70% |
What Islam haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Islam is R-Y6, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y6 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-Y7 and R-M417, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Sharma, Kumar, Singh, Mehta, Malik, Joshi, Rahman, Arora, Persaud, Chaudhry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Islam surname are: M, M5a, R. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Islam have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Islam" Surname 48.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Islam" Surname 30.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Islam" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Islam" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Islam?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Islam are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition