2010
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Asseff
An Arabic surname derived from "asaf" meaning sorrow or grief.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Asseff. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asseff 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Asseff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asseff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asseff
The surname ASSEFF has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Syria and Lebanon. It is derived from the Arabic word "asaf," which means "to grieve" or "to lament." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who had experienced significant sorrow or loss.
The earliest recorded instances of the ASSEFF surname date back to the 12th century, where it appears in records of trade and commerce in the cities of Damascus and Aleppo. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Assaf" or "Assaff," reflecting the phonetic variations common in the Arabic language.
In the 14th century, the ASSEFF name gained prominence with the rise of a wealthy merchant family in the city of Tripoli, Lebanon. One notable member of this family was Ibrahim Asseff, a successful trader who established trade routes between the Levant and Europe, facilitating the exchange of goods such as spices, silks, and precious metals.
As the ASSEFF family's influence grew, they established connections with other prominent families in the region, including the Mamluk dynasty of Egypt. Historical records from the 15th century mention an Asseff ambassador being sent to the Mamluk court to negotiate trade agreements.
In the 16th century, the ASSEFF name appears in the Ottoman Empire's records, as some members of the family migrated to Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) in search of new opportunities. One notable figure from this period was Hasan Asseff, a renowned calligrapher and scholar who served in the court of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
During the 18th century, the ASSEFF name spread further across the Mediterranean region, with members of the family settling in places like Greece, Italy, and Spain. One significant figure from this time was Miguel Asseff, a Spanish naval officer who participated in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where he displayed great valor and bravery.
As the centuries progressed, the ASSEFF name continued to be found in various parts of the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Yusuf Asseff (1856-1927), a prominent Lebanese journalist and political activist who advocated for Lebanese independence from Ottoman rule.
2. Fatima Asseff (1879-1958), an Egyptian feminist and advocate for women's rights, who played a significant role in the Egyptian feminist movement of the early 20th century.
3. Abdul Asseff (1905-1986), a Syrian painter and sculptor whose works reflected the cultural heritage of the Middle East and were exhibited internationally.
4. Samir Asseff (1928-2005), a Lebanese-American writer and academic who taught at several universities in the United States and authored several books on Middle Eastern literature and culture.
5. Leila Asseff (born 1973), a Jordanian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded a successful technology company and is known for her efforts in promoting education and empowerment for women and girls in the Middle East.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asseff
Among Census respondents with the surname Asseff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Asseff 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 Asseff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 96
- Black or African American2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asseff
Asseff 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
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 289 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 Asseff 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 | #152,628 | #152,339 | 0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 106 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asseff bearers went from 107 to 106 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,339.
FAQ
Asseff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asseff?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Asseff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Asseff?
Asseff ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Asseff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Asseff.
Has Asseff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asseff went from 107 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Asseff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asseff, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Asseff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asseff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Black (2.8%), Hispanic (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 Asseff (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 Asseff mean?
An Arabic surname derived from "asaf" meaning sorrow or grief. 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 Asseff (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 Americans have the surname Asseff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.