2000
#9,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,199
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Abbas
An Arabic surname indicating one's descent from Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, an uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,178 Americans carry the last name Abbas. That puts it at #4,803 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,912 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abbas surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Abbas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 41,912
Census rank
#4,803
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,132 bearers of the surname Abbas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4803rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abbas, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (40.7%) and Black (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abbas
The surname ABBAS is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "al-Abbas" which means "the lion" or "the great one". The name is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Mecca and Medina.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ABBAS can be found in Islamic historical records and manuscripts, where it is mentioned as the name of Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, an uncle of Prophet Muhammad. Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib lived from around 566 AD to 653 AD and was a prominent figure in early Islamic history.
The ABBAS surname later spread to other parts of the Middle East and North Africa as Islam expanded. It became particularly common in regions such as Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, where it was adopted by both Arab and non-Arab populations.
Over the centuries, the name ABBAS has been associated with various notable individuals. One of the most famous was Abbas I, also known as Abbas the Great, who reigned as the Shah of Persia from 1588 to 1629. He is credited with reviving the Safavid dynasty and strengthening the Persian Empire.
Another historical figure with the ABBAS surname was Abbas II, who ruled as the Shah of Persia from 1642 to 1666. He is known for his ambitious architectural projects, including the construction of the famous Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan.
The ABBAS name has also been associated with literary figures, such as Abbas al-Aqqad, an Egyptian poet and writer who lived from 1889 to 1964. He was a prominent figure in the Arab literary renaissance and played a significant role in promoting Arabic literature.
In the realm of politics, Abbas Mirza, the crown prince of Persia from 1789 to 1833, was a notable figure with the ABBAS surname. He was a military commander and played a crucial role in modernizing the Persian army.
It is worth noting that the ABBAS surname has also been subject to variations in spelling and pronunciation over time and across different regions. Some alternative spellings include Abbaas, Abas, and Abbass.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abbas
Among Census respondents with the surname Abbas, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (40.7%) and Black (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Abbas bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Abbas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.2% · 3,292
- Asian and Pacific Islander40.7% · 2,901
- Black or African American6.6% · 473
- Two or more races4.5% · 322
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abbas
Abbas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,974
+1,775 bearers (+55.5%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Up 2,567 places
2020
#4,803
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,132
+2,158 bearers (+43.4%)
Per 100,000 2.39
Rank movement Up 1,978 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,348 | 3,199 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,781 | 4,974 | 1.69 | +1,775 bearers (+55.5%) | Up 2,567 places |
| 2020 | #4,803 | 7,132 | 2.39 | +2,158 bearers (+43.4%) | Up 1,978 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Abbas surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,781 | #4,803 | 29.2% |
| Count | 4,974 | 7,132 | 43.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 2.39 | 41.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abbas bearers went from 4,974 to 7,132 (+43.4% change). The surname moved up 1,978 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,781 to #4,803.
FAQ
Abbas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abbas?
Name Census estimates that about 8,178 living Americans carry the surname Abbas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,912 residents.
How common is Abbas?
Abbas ranks #4,803 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,132 people with the surname Abbas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,178), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Abbas.
Has Abbas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abbas went from 4,974 recorded bearers to 7,132. That is an increase of 2,158 (+43.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,781 to #4,803.
What does the Census say about the background of Abbas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abbas, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (40.7%) and Black (6.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Abbas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.2% (3,292 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abbas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (40.7%), Black (6.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Abbas (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Abbas mean?
An Arabic surname indicating one's descent from Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, an uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Abbas (2.39 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Abbas?
Want to know how many people have the surname Abbas? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.