2000
#12,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,376
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Ayoub
Of Arabic origin, referring to the biblical figure Job, known for his patience and endurance through trials.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,213 Americans carry the last name Ayoub. That puts it at #8,589 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,356 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ayoub 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 Ayoub with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,356
Census rank
#8,589
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,674 bearers of the surname Ayoub in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8589th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ayoub
The surname Ayoub has its origins in the Arab world, with roots tracing back to the 6th century AD. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Ayyub," meaning "one who repents" or "one who is patient." It is believed to be a variant of the biblical name Job, which has been revered in both Judaic and Islamic traditions.
The earliest recorded instances of the Ayoub surname can be found in manuscripts and records from the Middle East and North Africa. One notable example is the 12th-century manuscript "Kitab al-Ansab" (Book of Genealogies), which mentions several individuals bearing the name Ayoub.
During the Islamic Golden Age, the name Ayoub gained prominence, with several notable figures leaving their mark on history. One such individual was Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, also known as Rhazes (865-925 AD), a renowned Persian polymath, philosopher, and a pioneering figure in the fields of medicine and alchemy.
Another prominent figure was Ibn Ayoub al-Raqqi (1165-1239 AD), a Syrian mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of optics and the development of the astrolabe.
As the Islamic empires expanded, the surname Ayoub spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe. In the 12th century, during the time of the Crusades, the name appears in records from the Iberian Peninsula, where it was likely brought by Arab settlers and conquistadors.
One notable figure from this period was Abu Ayoub al-Ansari (628-672 AD), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and a prominent figure in early Islamic history. He played a crucial role in the Islamic conquest of Syria and is revered for his bravery and devotion.
In more recent times, the surname Ayoub has been carried by influential individuals such as Naguib Mahfouz (1911-2006), an Egyptian novelist and Nobel laureate in literature, and Joseph Ayoub (1857-1951), a Lebanese-American writer and poet who played a significant role in the Arabic literary renaissance.
While the surname Ayoub is most prevalent in the Arab world, it has also found its way into various cultures and communities around the globe, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and cultural exchange throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ayoub
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ayoub 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 Ayoub surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 3,147
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 227
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 114
- Black or African American2.6% · 97
- Two or more races2.4% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ayoub
Ayoub 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
#10,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,041
+665 bearers (+28.0%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 1,507 places
2020
#8,589
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,674
+633 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Up 1,956 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,052 | 2,376 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,545 | 3,041 | 1.03 | +665 bearers (+28.0%) | Up 1,507 places |
| 2020 | #8,589 | 3,674 | 1.23 | +633 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 1,956 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 Ayoub 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 | #10,545 | #8,589 | 18.5% |
| Count | 3,041 | 3,674 | 20.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 1.23 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ayoub bearers went from 3,041 to 3,674 (+20.8% change). The surname moved up 1,956 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,545 to #8,589.
FAQ
Ayoub surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ayoub?
Name Census estimates that about 4,213 living Americans carry the surname Ayoub. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,356 residents.
How common is Ayoub?
Ayoub ranks #8,589 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 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 3,674 people with the surname Ayoub. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 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 Ayoub.
Has Ayoub become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ayoub went from 3,041 recorded bearers to 3,674. That is an increase of 633 (+20.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,545 to #8,589.
What does the Census say about the background of Ayoub?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Ayoub in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (3,147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ayoub appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Hispanic (6.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Ayoub (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 Ayoub mean?
Of Arabic origin, referring to the biblical figure Job, known for his patience and endurance through trials. 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 Ayoub (1.23 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 surname Ayoub?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.