SULTANA
Sultana is a surname of Arabic origin derived from the title 'sultan', meaning ruler or king. The title historically applied to sovereigns of Muslim realms, and its use as a family name often signifies a perceived connection to royalty or nobility, particularly among individuals of Muslim or Arabic descent.
The surname entered Northern Europe during the medieval period, appearing in a range of spellings such as Soudon, Sowden, Soltan, Soldan, and Sultan, with the feminine form Sultana. It has been suggested that the name was originally bestowed as a nickname for someone who behaved in an aristocratic manner, for an actor playing the part of a Sultan in a medieval pageant, or for a person with a dark or Latin appearance. The surname is first found in England in the early 13th century, when the name Robert le Sowden is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1279. In France, a later entry records Catherine Sultan at Champenoux, Meurthe-et-Moselle, on 30 June 1746.
The earliest documented spelling is Roger le Soudan, dated 1208 in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire during the reign of King John, known as “Lackland”, from 1199 to 1216. These early references demonstrate that the name has been used in both English and French contexts for over eight centuries.
In contemporary usage, the surname Sultana remains common among people of Arabic and Turkish heritage. In the United Kingdom it maintains a presence within the Muslim community, often inherited as a family name rather than a literal title. While the name carries historical associations with nobility, modern bearers of the surname typically use it in the same manner as other family names, reflecting lineage rather than actual political status.
Typical given names associated with the Sultana surname
Male
- Anwar
- Francis
- John
- Joseph
- Kazi
- Khawar
- Munawar
- Nahid
- Nayyer
- Niger
- Paul
- Qamar
- Sarwar
- Shahin
Female
- Abida
- Kishwar
- Nargis
- Nasrin
- Nazia
- Nighat
- Razia
- Salma
- Syeda
- Zakia
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sultana in...
Braille
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Morse
.....-.-..-.--..-
Semaphore
There are approximately 3,763 people named Sultana in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,473rd most common surname in Britain. Around 58 in a million people in Britain are named Sultana.
Famous people named Sultana
- Tash Sultana - Australian musician and singer-songwriter
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.