Frequency: (104)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic mahdī ‘guided’. This was the name of the twelfth Shiite imam, who disappeared in mysterious circumstances in 939, giving rise to a belief that he will return and unite Muslims under his leadership, triumphing over injustice.
GIVEN NAMES: Muslim 76%. Syed (6), Ahmed (2), Mohamed (2), Muhammad (2), Mustafa (2), Talal (2), Abdal, Abdullahi, Ahmad, Akil, Alawi, Barakat.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
