2000
#25,041
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 930
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Azam
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "great" or "mighty".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,314 Americans carry the last name Azam. That puts it at #14,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,122 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Azam 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 Azam with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,122
Census rank
#14,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,018 bearers of the surname Azam in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Azam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Azam
The surname "AZAM" originated in the Middle East and South Asia, particularly in regions with a strong Persian and Arabic influence. It is derived from the Arabic word "azam," which means "great" or "grand." The name is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries.
The earliest known records of the name AZAM can be traced back to the Persian Empire, where it was used as a title or honorific for individuals of high rank or nobility. It was often bestowed upon military commanders, scholars, and prominent figures who had achieved greatness in their respective fields.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname AZAM was Mir Azam Khan, a prominent military leader and statesman from the Mughal Empire in the 17th century. He served as the governor of several provinces and played a crucial role in the expansion of the empire's territories.
Another significant figure was Ghulam Azam, a Bengali politician and Islamic scholar who lived from 1922 to 2014. He was a prominent leader of the Muslim League in British India and played a pivotal role in the movement for an independent Muslim state, which eventually led to the creation of Pakistan.
In the realm of literature, the name AZAM is associated with Azam Inqilabi, a renowned Urdu poet and writer from the 20th century. Born in 1923 in British India, he was known for his progressive and revolutionary poetry, which reflected the struggles and aspirations of the working class.
Moving to the field of science, one cannot overlook the contributions of Ghulam Azam, a Pakistani physicist and academic who lived from 1922 to 2014. He was a pioneer in the field of nuclear physics and played a crucial role in Pakistan's nuclear program, serving as the chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission.
Another notable figure with the surname AZAM was Khalid Azam, a Pakistani cricketer who played for the national team in the 1970s and 1980s. He was a talented all-rounder and represented Pakistan in several Test matches and One Day Internationals, earning recognition for his outstanding performances on the field.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname AZAM throughout history, each making significant contributions in their respective domains and leaving a lasting impact on their societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Azam
Among Census respondents with the surname Azam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Azam 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 Azam surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander82.8% · 1,671
- White7.8% · 157
- Two or more races6.3% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 31
- Black or African American1.2% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Azam
Azam 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
#18,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,536
+606 bearers (+65.2%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Up 6,913 places
2020
#14,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,018
+482 bearers (+31.4%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 3,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,041 | 930 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,128 | 1,536 | 0.52 | +606 bearers (+65.2%) | Up 6,913 places |
| 2020 | #14,280 | 2,018 | 0.68 | +482 bearers (+31.4%) | Up 3,848 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 Azam 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 | #18,128 | #14,280 | 21.2% |
| Count | 1,536 | 2,018 | 31.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.68 | 29.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Azam bearers went from 1,536 to 2,018 (+31.4% change). The surname moved up 3,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,128 to #14,280.
FAQ
Azam surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Azam?
Name Census estimates that about 2,314 living Americans carry the surname Azam. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,122 residents.
How common is Azam?
Azam ranks #14,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,018 people with the surname Azam. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,314), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Azam.
Has Azam become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Azam went from 1,536 recorded bearers to 2,018. That is an increase of 482 (+31.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,128 to #14,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Azam?
Among Census respondents with the surname Azam, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 82.8%. The next largest groups are White (7.8%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Azam in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (1,671 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Azam appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (82.8%), White (7.8%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Azam (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 Azam mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "great" or "mighty". 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 Azam (0.68 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 common is the surname Azam?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Azam is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.