Explore the Family Name Zahir
The meaning of Zahir
Muslim: 1. from a personal name based on Arabic ẓāhir ‘knowing’ or ‘clear, evident’. However, the popularity of this name comes at least in part from the epithet of the famous Sultan of Egypt Baybars, al-Malik al-Ẓāhir, and in that collocation, ẓāhir is generally glossed as ‘victorious’ (al-Ẓāhir ‘the victorious king’). Compare Zaher, Dahir, and Daher. 2. from a personal name based on Arabic zāhir ‘bright, radiant, blooming’. 3. from a personal name based on Arabic ẓahīr ‘helper, supporter’. Compare Zaheer.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Zahir in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Zahir experienced significant growth in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked 48,567 and increased to 35,447 in 2010, reflecting a change of 27.01%. During that same decade, the count of individuals with this surname also rose from 408 to 635, an increase of 55.64%. The proportion of people named Zahir per 100,000 U.S. residents grew by almost half, moving from 0.15 to 0.22.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #48,567 | #35,447 | 27.01% |
| Count | 408 | 635 | 55.64% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.15 | 0.22 | 46.67% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Zahir
Regarding its ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the Zahir surname is most common among the Asian/Pacific Islander demographic, with minimal change between 2000 and 2010 (36.03% to 36.06%, respectively). There's been a notable increase of 24.55% in the White demographic, rising from 27.94% in 2000 to 34.80% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Two or more races decreased substantially from 18.87% to 13.54%. Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories appear in 2010 with shares of 0.94% and 2.20% respectively, as they were suppressed in 2000 for privacy. The Black demographic experienced a slight decrease from 13.24% in 2000 to 12.44% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 36.03% | 36.06% | 0.08% |
| White | 27.94% | 34.8% | 24.55% |
| Two or More Races | 18.87% | 13.54% | -28.25% |
| Black | 13.24% | 12.44% | -6.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 2.2% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.94% | 0% |