Explore the Family Name Shahid

The meaning of Shahid

Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic shahīd ‘witness’ and by extension ‘martyr’ (see the Koran 57:19). It is a title of honor accorded to those who have embraced death in the cause of Islam. Compare Shaheed; see also Shahidi. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Abdul, Sheikh, Mohammed, Muhammad, Abdus, Ali, Hasan, Kamal, Mian, Saleem, Syed.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Shahid has seen a significant increase over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 17,282 in terms of popularity, but the ranking improved by almost 31 percent to reach 11,942 in 2010. The count of people with this surname also showed an impressive growth of approximately 73.6 percent, rising from 1,508 in 2000 to 2,618 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of the surname per 100,000 people increased by nearly 59 percent during the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#17,282#11,94230.9%
Count1,5082,61873.61%
Proportion per 100k0.560.8958.93%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shahid

When examining the ethnic identity of individuals bearing the surname Shahid, the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. A majority associated with the Asian or Pacific Islander ethnicity, increasing from around 49.7 percent in 2000 to 68.6 percent in 2010. The percentage of those identified as having two or more ethnic identities decreased dramatically by about 69.65 percent. The number of individuals identifying as White saw a decline of approximately 36.4 percent. Meanwhile, the portion of individuals associating with Black ethnicity decreased by nearly 26 percent. No change was observed among those identifying as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander49.73%68.56%37.86%
Black22.88%16.96%-25.87%
White15.25%9.7%-36.39%
Two or More Races9.95%3.02%-69.65%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%