2000
#6,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,735
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Uncommon Last name
Aziz
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "powerful, respected, beloved, or precious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,192 Americans carry the last name Aziz. That puts it at #3,881 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,630 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Aziz 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 Aziz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,630
Census rank
#3,881
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,888 bearers of the surname Aziz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3881st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Aziz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.9%) and Black (7.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Aziz
The surname Aziz has its origins in the Arabic language, where it means "mighty," "powerful," or "revered." The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions with a strong Islamic cultural influence.
The earliest recorded use of the name Aziz can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of the Islamic civilization. It appears in various historical texts and manuscripts from that era, often referring to individuals of significant social or religious standing.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Aziz was Abu al-Aziz ibn Marwan, an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 685 to 705 CE. He played a crucial role in the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate and the spread of Islam across North Africa and parts of Europe.
In the 11th century, the name Aziz gained further prominence with the rise of the Ayyubid Dynasty in Egypt and Syria. Saladin, the famous Kurdish Muslim sultan and the founder of the dynasty, was also known as Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub al-Aziz.
Another notable figure with the surname Aziz was Usman dan Fodio, a prominent Islamic scholar, religious leader, and the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate in present-day Nigeria. He lived from 1754 to 1817 and played a significant role in the spread of Islam in West Africa.
In the realm of literature, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Aziz was Abdur Rahman Aziz, a 19th-century Bengali poet and writer. He was a pioneer of modern Bengali poetry and is considered one of the greatest literary figures in Bengal.
The name Aziz has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For example, the city of Al-Aziziyah in Iraq was named after the Abbasid caliph Al-Aziz Billah, who ruled from 975 to 996 CE.
While the surname Aziz has its roots in the Arab world, it has since spread to other regions and cultures, particularly where Islam has had a significant influence. Today, the name can be found among individuals of diverse ethnicities and nationalities, reflecting the rich cultural exchange and migration patterns throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Aziz
Among Census respondents with the surname Aziz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.9%) and Black (7.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Aziz 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 Aziz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander42.2% · 3,750
- White40.9% · 3,636
- Black or African American7.8% · 697
- Two or more races6.0% · 530
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 266
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Aziz
Aziz 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
#5,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,740
+2,005 bearers (+42.3%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Up 1,417 places
2020
#3,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,888
+2,148 bearers (+31.9%)
Per 100,000 2.97
Rank movement Up 1,306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,604 | 4,735 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,187 | 6,740 | 2.28 | +2,005 bearers (+42.3%) | Up 1,417 places |
| 2020 | #3,881 | 8,888 | 2.97 | +2,148 bearers (+31.9%) | Up 1,306 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 Aziz 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 | #5,187 | #3,881 | 25.2% |
| Count | 6,740 | 8,888 | 31.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.97 | 30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Aziz bearers went from 6,740 to 8,888 (+31.9% change). The surname moved up 1,306 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,187 to #3,881.
FAQ
Aziz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Aziz?
Name Census estimates that about 10,192 living Americans carry the surname Aziz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,630 residents.
How common is Aziz?
Aziz ranks #3,881 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,888 people with the surname Aziz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,192), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Aziz.
Has Aziz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Aziz went from 6,740 recorded bearers to 8,888. That is an increase of 2,148 (+31.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,187 to #3,881.
What does the Census say about the background of Aziz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Aziz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 42.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.9%) and Black (7.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Aziz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 42.2% (3,750 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Aziz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (42.2%), White (40.9%), Black (7.8%). 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 Aziz (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 Aziz mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "powerful, respected, beloved, or precious." 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 Aziz (2.97 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 Aziz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.