Explore the Family Name Sultana

The meaning of Sultana

1. Maltese and Italian (Sicily): from Arabic sulṭāna ‘wife of a sultan’, possibly applied as a nickname for someone who behaved in an outlandish or autocratic manner. 2. Muslim (Indian subcontinent): from a female personal name based on a feminine form of the Arabic word sulṭān ‘sultan, ruler’ (see 1 above). Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Razia, Salma, Sayeeda, Zehra, Akhtar, Azra, Fareeda, Farida, Jameel, Khawar, Kishwar, Mahmuda. Italian Angelo, Carmela, Constantino, Grazio.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Sultana' has significantly surged from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this surname climbed to 9,373 in 2010 from 16,761 in 2000, an increase of 44.08%. The number of individuals with this surname also more than doubled over this decade, rising from 1,569 to 3,471, marking a growth rate of 121.22%. Additionally, the proportion per 100k people increased by 103.45% during the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#16,761#9,37344.08%
Count1,5693,471121.22%
Proportion per 100k0.581.18103.45%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sultana

On the ethnicity front, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of people with the surname 'Sultana' identified themselves as Asian/Pacific Islander. This ethnic group saw a substantial increase of approximately 24% from 2000 to 2010. However, there was a noticeable decrease in those identifying as either White or having two or more races, dropping by 52.38% and 73.75% respectively. The Hispanic demographic also observed a decline of 44.03%. Interestingly, the Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories saw new entries in 2010, which were not present in 2000.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander70.3%87.12%23.93%
White20.2%9.62%-52.38%
Two or More Races7.58%1.99%-73.75%
Hispanic1.34%0.75%-44.03%
Black0%0.26%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.26%0%