2000
#48,776
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Askari
A surname derived from the Persian word meaning "soldier" or "warrior."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 843 Americans carry the last name Askari. That puts it at #33,375 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 406,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Askari 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 Askari with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
843
1 in 406,589
Census rank
#33,375
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
735
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 735 bearers of the surname Askari in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 33375th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Askari, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Askari
The surname Askari has its origins in the Arabic language, deriving from the word 'askar' which translates to 'soldier' or 'military'. This name is believed to have first emerged in the Middle East, particularly in regions with significant Arab influence during the medieval period.
In the historical context, the term 'askari' was widely used to refer to soldiers or military personnel in various Islamic empires and kingdoms. The surname Askari likely originated as a descriptive name, identifying individuals who were part of the armed forces or had a military occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Askari surname can be found in the chronicles of the Mamluk Sultanate, a medieval Muslim empire that ruled over Egypt, Syria, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The Mamluks, who were initially enslaved soldiers of Central Asian and Circassian origin, played a significant role in shaping the political and military landscape of the region.
During the Ottoman Empire, which spanned from the 14th to the early 20th century, the term 'askari' was also commonly used to refer to soldiers or armed guards. This suggests that the Askari surname may have gained further prominence and spread across the territories under Ottoman rule, including parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans.
One notable individual bearing the Askari surname was Abdul Aziz Askari (1858-1921), a prominent Iraqi politician and intellectual who played a crucial role in the Iraqi nationalist movement during the late Ottoman period and the early years of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia.
Another historical figure with the Askari surname was Muhammad Askari (1892-1958), an Iranian military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Iran from 1942 to 1943 during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.
In the Indian subcontinent, the Askari surname can also be found among Muslim communities, particularly in regions that were once part of the Mughal Empire or other Islamic dynasties. One notable figure was Mirza Askari (1836-1923), an Indian poet and writer who made significant contributions to Urdu literature.
Beyond the Middle East and South Asia, the Askari surname has also spread to other parts of the world, often carried by individuals or families with roots in these regions. For example, Nizamuddin Askari (1932-2023) was a prominent Afghan diplomat and writer who served as the Afghan Ambassador to several countries, including the United States and India.
It is worth noting that the Askari surname has undergone various spellings and variations over time, reflecting regional linguistic influences and pronunciation differences. However, the core meaning and association with military or soldier remain consistent across these variations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Askari
Among Census respondents with the surname Askari, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Askari 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 Askari surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.0% · 441
- Asian and Pacific Islander23.3% · 171
- Two or more races6.8% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 39
- Black or African American4.6% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Askari
Askari 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
#40,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 541
+135 bearers (+33.3%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 8,344 places
2020
#33,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 735
+194 bearers (+35.9%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 7,057 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,776 | 406 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,432 | 541 | 0.18 | +135 bearers (+33.3%) | Up 8,344 places |
| 2020 | #33,375 | 735 | 0.25 | +194 bearers (+35.9%) | Up 7,057 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 Askari 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 | #40,432 | #33,375 | 17.5% |
| Count | 541 | 735 | 35.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.25 | 36.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Askari bearers went from 541 to 735 (+35.9% change). The surname moved up 7,057 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,432 to #33,375.
FAQ
Askari surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Askari?
Name Census estimates that about 843 living Americans carry the surname Askari. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 406,589 residents.
How common is Askari?
Askari ranks #33,375 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 735 people with the surname Askari. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (843), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Askari.
Has Askari become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Askari went from 541 recorded bearers to 735. That is an increase of 194 (+35.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,432 to #33,375.
What does the Census say about the background of Askari?
Among Census respondents with the surname Askari, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Askari in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.0% (441 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Askari appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Askari (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 Askari mean?
A surname derived from the Persian word meaning "soldier" or "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 Askari (0.25 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 Askari?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Askari on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.