Explore the Family Name Mahmud

The meaning of Mahmud

Muslim (mainly Bangladesh): from a personal name based on Arabic maḥmūd ‘praiseworthy, commendable’ (a derivative of ḥamida ‘to praise’; see also Muhammad). Compare also Mahmood and Mahmoud. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Khalid, Shahid, Sultan, Ayaz, Syed, Abdullah, Arif, Bilal, Iffat, Ihsan, Jamil, Nasar.

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

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

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Mahmud" has increased significantly between 2000 and 2010 in the United States. In 2000, Mahmud was ranked 23,221st most common surname, but by 2010 it had jumped to 17,176th, a growth of 26.03%. Similarly, the number of individuals carrying the Mahmud surname grew from 1,025 in 2000 to 1,649 in 2010, which is an increase of 60.88%. The frequency of the surname per 100,000 people also saw a boost of 47.37% during this period.

20002010Change
Rank#23,221#17,17626.03%
Count1,0251,64960.88%
Proportion per 100k0.380.5647.37%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Mahmud

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Mahmud according to the Decennial U.S. Census, there were noticeable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The proportion of Asian/Pacific Islander rose by 18.78%, making it the predominant ethnicity linked to this surname by 2010 at 65.01%. On the other hand, the percentage of people identifying as two or more races dropped sharply by 69.13%. The portion of White individuals with the surname decreased slightly from 17.56% to 15.71%, while the Black community saw a minor increase from 9.07% to 10.13%. No changes were recorded for the Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander54.73%65.01%18.78%
White17.56%15.71%-10.54%
Black9.07%10.13%11.69%
Two or More Races16.1%4.97%-69.13%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%