UK surname

Shiraz

An ethnonym referring to a person from the Persian city of Shiraz.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Cardiff and Redbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shiraz is 199 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

Modern count

189

2016, ranked #20,334

Peak year

2011

199 bearers

Map years

2006 to 2016

Key insights

• The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016, ranked #20,334.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students.

Map

Shiraz surname distribution map

The map shows where the Shiraz surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Shiraz surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Shiraz over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year	Period	Count	Rank
1997	modern	67	#30,915
1998	modern	77	#30,289
1999	modern	88	#29,287
2000	modern	104	#27,150
2001	modern	98	#27,672
2002	modern	99	#28,082
2003	modern	112	#25,948
2004	modern	134	#23,425
2005	modern	143	#22,473
2006	modern	151	#21,818
2007	modern	155	#21,726
2008	modern	160	#21,521
2009	modern	170	#21,095
2010	modern	183	#20,586
2011	modern	199	#19,346
2012	modern	186	#20,141
2013	modern	194	#19,932
2014	modern	184	#20,809
2015	modern	183	#20,786
2016	modern	189	#20,334

Geography

Where Shiraz' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Cardiff, Redbridge, Harrow and Bradford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank	Parish	Area
1	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Kirklees 012	Kirklees
2	Cardiff 021	Cardiff
3	Redbridge 029	Redbridge
4	Harrow 033	Harrow
5	Bradford 049	Bradford

Forenames

First names often paired with Shiraz

These lists show first names that appear often with the Shiraz surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Sidra Iram Parveen Haseena Eram Shabana Bushra Samina Shazia Zakia

Recent male names

Mohammed Mohammad Waseem Mohamed Muhammad Habib Tamim Arif Ali Abdul

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Shiraz

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shiraz, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students

Nationally, the Shiraz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Multicultural Communities and Students, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Shiraz household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples with dependent children are common in this Group, with many parents born in Africa or the EU. The representation of residents amongst different ethnic minority groups is high, particularly for individuals of Pakistani ethnic group. For many residents, English is not their main language, and affiliation to Christian religions is less common. Privately rented terrace properties predominate and levels of overcrowding are high. Part time work is common, with many employed in elementary occupations and sales and customer services. There are also many students living within these areas, and overall unemployment levels are high.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Young Asian Family Terraces

Within London, Shiraz is most associated with areas classed as Young Asian Family Terraces, part of Suburban Asian Communities. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These households with dependent children typically live in terraced housing and are of (non-Chinese) Asian extraction. Individuals with Bangladeshi origins are particularly in evidence. Employment is often in elementary occupations or as process, plant or machine operatives, and part-time work is common. Students are much in evidence.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shiraz is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shiraz falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shiraz is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Shiraz, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Origin

Meaning and origin of Shiraz

The surname SHIRAZ has its origins in Persia, now known as Iran, and dates back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the city of Shiraz, located in the southern region of Iran, which was a renowned cultural and literary center during the medieval period.

The city of Shiraz itself is believed to have been founded around the 7th century AD, and its name is thought to be derived from the ancient Persian word "Shir-az," meaning "lion-born." This name likely originated from the city's association with the lion, which was a symbol of strength and courage in Persian culture.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname SHIRAZ can be found in the "Shahnameh," an epic Persian poem written by the poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century AD. The poem includes mentions of individuals from the city of Shiraz, suggesting that the surname was already in use at that time.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, the city of Shiraz flourished as a center of poetry and literature, producing renowned poets such as Hafez (c. 1315-1390) and Saadi (c. 1210-1291). It is likely that many individuals associated with the literary and cultural life of Shiraz adopted the surname SHIRAZ during this period.

One notable figure with the surname SHIRAZ was Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi (c. 1236-1311), a influential Persian philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and logic.

Another prominent individual was Malik al-Shu'ara' Bahar (1884-1951), an Iranian poet and literary scholar who played a crucial role in the revival of Persian literature in the early 20th century.

In the realm of science, Ghiyath al-Din al-Kashi al-Shirazi (c. 1380-1429) was a renowned Persian mathematician, astronomer, and geographer who made important contributions to the development of trigonometry and the calculation of pi.

The surname SHIRAZ also appears in historical records from other parts of the Middle East, suggesting that individuals from the city of Shiraz or their descendants may have migrated to other regions.

One example is Al-Shirazi (c. 1193-1283), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from the city of Shiraz who later settled in Damascus, Syria, and became a respected figure in the religious and legal circles of the time.

Throughout its long history, the surname SHIRAZ has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including poets, scholars, scientists, and religious figures, all of whom have contributed to the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of the Persian and Islamic worlds.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Shiraz surname: questions and answers

How common is the Shiraz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 189 in 2016. That gives Shiraz a modern rank of #20,334.

What does the Shiraz surname mean?