2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Abiad
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "worshipper" or "servant," derived from the Arabic word "ʿabd."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Abiad. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abiad 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Abiad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abiad, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.3%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abiad
The surname ABIAD is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of present-day Lebanon and Syria. The name is thought to derive from the Arabic word "abyad," which means "white" or "fair-skinned." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone with a lighter complexion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ABIAD can be found in historical records from the 12th century in the area around Tripoli, Lebanon. During this period, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Al-Abyad" and "El-Abiad," reflecting the Arabic linguistic roots.
In the 14th century, the name ABIAD was mentioned in a manuscript detailing the lineages of prominent families in the region. This document provides valuable insights into the prevalence and significance of the name during that era.
One notable individual bearing the surname ABIAD was Ibrahim Al-Abiad, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in Damascus, Syria, in the 16th century (born c. 1510, died c. 1580). His works were widely recognized and celebrated in the literary circles of his time.
Another prominent figure was Mansur Al-Abiad, a skilled architect and engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of several notable structures in Beirut, Lebanon, during the 18th century (born c. 1710, died c. 1785).
In the 19th century, the name ABIAD gained recognition through the accomplishments of Layla Al-Abiad, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in the Ottoman Empire (born 1825, died 1892). Her efforts paved the way for greater educational opportunities for women in the region.
The name ABIAD has also been associated with various place names in Lebanon and Syria, such as the village of Al-Abiadiyah in northern Lebanon and the town of Abiad in central Syria. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of families bearing the ABIAD surname in those areas.
It's worth noting that while the name ABIAD has its roots in the Arabic language and Middle Eastern history, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abiad
Among Census respondents with the surname Abiad, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.3%) and Hispanic (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Abiad 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 Abiad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.4% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander24.3% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 10
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abiad
Abiad appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,292 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 3,292 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 Abiad 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 | #148,347 | #151,639 | -2.2% |
| Count | 111 | 107 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abiad bearers went from 111 to 107 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 3,292 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #151,639.
FAQ
Abiad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abiad?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Abiad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Abiad?
Abiad ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Abiad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Abiad.
Has Abiad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abiad went from 111 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Abiad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abiad, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (24.3%) and Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Abiad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.4% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abiad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (24.3%), Hispanic (9.3%). 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 Abiad (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 Abiad mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "worshipper" or "servant," derived from the Arabic word "ʿabd." 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 Abiad (0.04 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 Abiad?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Abiad at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.