Explore the Family Name Suleiman

The meaning of Suleiman

Arabic: from the personal name Sulaimān, Arabic form of Solomon. Suleiman (Solomon) is regarded in Islam as a prophet (Koran 27:17). Bearers of this surname are both Muslims and Christians (including Assyrians/Chaldeans). Compare Sleiman, Soliman, Sulaiman, Suleman, and Suliman. History: Suleiman the Magnificent (1498–1566) was a renowned caliph of the Ottoman Empire. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Ahmad, Abdullahi, Anver, Hussein, Raed, Talat, Abdul, Adnan, Ali, Fayez, Khaled, Khalid.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Suleiman saw significant growth between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Suleiman ranked 20,871 in terms of surname frequency but jumped to a rank of 14,965 by 2010, reflecting an increase of 28.3%. The count of individuals with this surname also increased significantly from 1,176 to 1,976 during this decade, showing a notable 68.03% surge. The proportion of people per 100,000 with the surname Suleiman also grew by 52.27%, from 0.44 to 0.67.

20002010Change
Rank#20,871#14,96528.3%
Count1,1761,97668.03%
Proportion per 100k0.440.6752.27%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Suleiman

The data from the Decennial U.S. Census also shows changes in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Suleiman. In 2000, a majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (56.89%), a figure that rose to 69.99% by 2010. There was also a substantial increase in those identifying as Black, up from 8.84% to 15.74%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as Two or more races dropped from 27.30% to 8.15%. A slight increase was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander category (from 0% to 2.68%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native category (from 0% to 0.25%), while the Hispanic category saw a decrease from 4.42% to 3.19%.

20002010Change
White56.89%69.99%23.03%
Black8.84%15.74%78.05%
Two or More Races27.3%8.15%-70.15%
Hispanic4.42%3.19%-27.83%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%2.68%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.25%0%