2000
#83,301
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 210
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Ashfaq
An Arabic surname meaning "superior, excellent".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 688 Americans carry the last name Ashfaq. That puts it at #39,536 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 498,189 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashfaq 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 Ashfaq with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
688
1 in 498,189
Census rank
#39,536
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
600
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 600 bearers of the surname Ashfaq in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39536th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashfaq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ashfaq
The surname "ASHFAQ" originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic-speaking regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "ashfaq," which means "compassionate" or "merciful." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 7th century AD, during the early Islamic era.
In the 8th century, the name appeared in several historical manuscripts and records from the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from modern-day Iran to North Africa. One notable figure bearing this surname was Ashfaq ibn Abdallah, a renowned scholar and poet who lived in Baghdad during the reign of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mahdi (775-785 AD).
As the Islamic civilization expanded, the surname "ASHFAQ" spread to various regions, including parts of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. In the 11th century, a prominent figure named Ashfaq al-Din Mahmud Ghaznavi (971-1030 AD) was a renowned military leader and ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire, which encompassed modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of India.
During the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, the name "ASHFAQ" gained further prominence. One notable individual was Ashfaq Khan, a military commander and governor who served under the Mughal emperor Akbar (1556-1605 AD). Another significant figure was Ashfaq Ullah Khan (1548-1605 AD), a Mughal nobleman and poet who held high positions in the court of Akbar.
In the 19th century, Ashfaq Ali Khan (1820-1875 AD) was a renowned poet and scholar from the Indian subcontinent. He was known for his contribution to the Urdu language and literature. Additionally, Ashfaq Ullah Khan (1858-1917 AD) was a prominent Muslim leader and educator who played a significant role in the educational reform movement in British India.
Throughout history, the surname "ASHFAQ" has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, poets, military leaders, and nobles, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and influence of the Arabic language and Islamic civilization across various regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashfaq
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashfaq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashfaq 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 Ashfaq surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander92.0% · 552
- Two or more races3.0% · 18
- White2.7% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 8
- Black or African American0.8% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashfaq
Ashfaq 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
#54,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 382
+172 bearers (+81.9%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 29,246 places
2020
#39,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 600
+218 bearers (+57.1%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 14,519 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #83,301 | 210 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #54,055 | 382 | 0.13 | +172 bearers (+81.9%) | Up 29,246 places |
| 2020 | #39,536 | 600 | 0.20 | +218 bearers (+57.1%) | Up 14,519 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 Ashfaq 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 | #54,055 | #39,536 | 26.9% |
| Count | 382 | 600 | 57.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.20 | 54.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashfaq bearers went from 382 to 600 (+57.1% change). The surname moved up 14,519 positions in the national ranking, going from #54,055 to #39,536.
FAQ
Ashfaq surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashfaq?
Name Census estimates that about 688 living Americans carry the surname Ashfaq. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 498,189 residents.
How common is Ashfaq?
Ashfaq ranks #39,536 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 600 people with the surname Ashfaq. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (688), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Ashfaq.
Has Ashfaq become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashfaq went from 382 recorded bearers to 600. That is an increase of 218 (+57.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #54,055 to #39,536.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashfaq?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashfaq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and White (2.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ashfaq in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (552 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashfaq appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%), White (2.7%). 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 Ashfaq (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 Ashfaq mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "superior, excellent". 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 Ashfaq (0.20 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 Ashfaq?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.