2000
#28,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 788
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Ajayi
One who is as brave as a warrior or one who possesses the strength of a warrior.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,491 Americans carry the last name Ajayi. That puts it at #10,093 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ajayi 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 Ajayi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,182
Census rank
#10,093
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,044 bearers of the surname Ajayi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10093rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajayi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ajayi
The surname AJAYI originates from the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. It can be traced back to the 15th century in the region that is now modern-day Ogun State and Lagos State. The name is derived from the Yoruba word "Aja," meaning a skilled person or warrior, and "Iyi," meaning to live or reside.
The earliest recorded instances of the AJAYI surname can be found in oral traditions and historical accounts from the Oyo Empire and the Ijebu Kingdom. The name is associated with notable warriors, chiefs, and community leaders during this era. One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name was Ajayi Ogundele, a renowned warrior and military commander who lived in the late 16th century.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the AJAYI name appeared in various records and manuscripts kept by local chiefs and rulers in the Yoruba region. These documents often chronicled important events, lineages, and the exploits of notable individuals within the community.
In the 19th century, the name gained further prominence with individuals such as Ajayi Crowther (1809-1891), a renowned linguist, scholar, and the first African bishop of the Anglican Church. Another notable figure was Ajayi Agbede (1845-1917), a prominent trader and community leader in the city of Lagos.
During the 20th century, several individuals with the AJAYI surname made significant contributions in various fields. These include Ajayi Ade Akinwande (1900-1962), a respected educator and writer; Ajayi Crowther Awolowo (1909-1967), a prominent Anglican priest and theologian; and Ajayi Festus Ajayi (1927-2021), a renowned historian and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos.
Other notable individuals with the AJAYI surname include Ajayi Babalola (1904-1959), a renowned evangelist and founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, and Ajayi Bamidele (born 1954), a Nigerian politician and former member of the House of Representatives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ajayi
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajayi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ajayi 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 Ajayi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.4% · 2,873
- Two or more races2.2% · 68
- White1.9% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ajayi
Ajayi 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
#17,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,610
+822 bearers (+104.3%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 10,987 places
2020
#10,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,044
+1,434 bearers (+89.1%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 7,409 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,489 | 788 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,502 | 1,610 | 0.55 | +822 bearers (+104.3%) | Up 10,987 places |
| 2020 | #10,093 | 3,044 | 1.02 | +1,434 bearers (+89.1%) | Up 7,409 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 Ajayi 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 | #17,502 | #10,093 | 42.3% |
| Count | 1,610 | 3,044 | 89.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 1.02 | 85.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ajayi bearers went from 1,610 to 3,044 (+89.1% change). The surname moved up 7,409 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,502 to #10,093.
FAQ
Ajayi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ajayi?
Name Census estimates that about 3,491 living Americans carry the surname Ajayi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,182 residents.
How common is Ajayi?
Ajayi ranks #10,093 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,044 people with the surname Ajayi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,491), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ajayi.
Has Ajayi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ajayi went from 1,610 recorded bearers to 3,044. That is an increase of 1,434 (+89.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,502 to #10,093.
What does the Census say about the background of Ajayi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ajayi, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and White (1.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ajayi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (2,873 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ajayi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (94.4%), Two or More Races (2.2%), White (1.9%). 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 Ajayi (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 Ajayi mean?
One who is as brave as a warrior or one who possesses the strength of a warrior. 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 Ajayi (1.02 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 share the surname Ajayi?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.