Explore the Family Name Ramadan

The meaning of Ramadan

Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic Ramaḍān, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the sacred month of fasting for Muslims. Ramadan was the month in which the Koran, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Jibril (which corresponds to the Biblical Gabriel; see Jibril). This word is often chosen as a personal name by Muslim parents for children born in this month. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ahmed, Mohamad, Mohamed, Walid, Wafic, Ali, Hassan, Hussein, Osama, Sami, Akram, Ashraf.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Ramadan' significantly increased from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked 19,575th and by 2010, it had moved up to 16,630th, indicating a rise in popularity by 15.04%. The number of individuals bearing this surname also saw an increase over the decade, rising from 1,275 in 2000 to 1,724 in 2010, which represents a substantial increase of 35.22%. Consequently, the proportion of people with the surname per 100,000 also rose by 23.4%, from 0.47 to 0.58.

20002010Change
Rank#19,575#16,63015.04%
Count1,2751,72435.22%
Proportion per 100k0.470.5823.4%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ramadan

Regarding ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some significant shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those with the Ramadan surname identifying as White increased by 26.73% to 79.52%, while those identifying with two or more ethnicities decreased by 77.74% to stand at 5.57%. Those identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase, growing by 89.29% to reach 3.71%. There was a slight increase in those identifying as Black, up by 13.67% to 9.98%. However, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native were not present in the 2010 data, due to either data suppression for privacy reasons or a lack of representation within these ethnic identities.

20002010Change
White62.75%79.52%26.73%
Black8.78%9.98%13.67%
Two or More Races25.02%5.57%-77.74%
Hispanic1.96%3.71%89.29%
Asian/Pacific Islander1.02%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.47%0%0%