2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dervishian
A surname of Armenian origin meaning "belonging to or associated with dervishes".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Dervishian. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dervishian 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Dervishian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dervishian, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dervishian
The surname Dervishian is of Armenian origin and dates back to the 15th century. It is derived from the word "dervish," which refers to a member of a Sufi Muslim religious order known for their mystical practices and spiritual teachings. The suffix "-ian" indicates a person or a family associated with that particular group or profession.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule over Armenia, Armenians often adopted surnames related to their professions or religious affiliations. It is believed that the Dervishian surname may have been given to Armenian families who had connections with the Sufi dervish order, either as members or as individuals who interacted with them in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dervishian surname can be found in a 16th-century Armenian manuscript detailing the lives of notable figures from the region. The document mentions a certain Khachatur Dervishian, a renowned calligrapher and scholar who resided in the city of Van in the late 15th century.
In the 17th century, the Dervishian family appears to have established itself in the city of Nor Jugha (present-day Julfa, Iran), which was a thriving center of Armenian culture and commerce. Records from that time period indicate that a prominent merchant named Harutyun Dervishian played a significant role in the city's trade with neighboring regions.
During the 18th century, a branch of the Dervishian family settled in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. One notable figure from this lineage was Archbishop Karapet Dervishian (1720-1799), who served as the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Jerusalem and oversaw the construction of several important religious buildings.
In the 19th century, the Dervishian surname gained prominence in the field of education. Vardges Dervishian (1825-1898), a renowned educator and writer, established several schools in various Armenian communities and authored numerous textbooks and literary works. His efforts played a significant role in promoting Armenian culture and language.
Another notable figure was Vazgen Dervishian (1867-1942), a prominent lawyer and political activist who advocated for Armenian rights within the Ottoman Empire. He was a leading figure in the Armenian National Movement and played a crucial role in the establishment of the first Armenian Republic in 1918.
Throughout history, the Dervishian surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, clergy, merchants, educators, and political activists. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Sufi dervish order, it has since evolved to represent a distinct Armenian identity and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dervishian
Among Census respondents with the surname Dervishian, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dervishian 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 Dervishian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 8
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dervishian
Dervishian 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,512 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,512 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,225 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 Dervishian 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 | #147,253 | #145,028 | 1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 116 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dervishian bearers went from 112 to 116 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,225 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,028.
FAQ
Dervishian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dervishian?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Dervishian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Dervishian?
Dervishian ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Dervishian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Dervishian.
Has Dervishian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dervishian went from 112 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Dervishian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dervishian, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Dervishian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dervishian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Dervishian (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 Dervishian mean?
A surname of Armenian origin meaning "belonging to or associated with dervishes". 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 Dervishian (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 people are called Dervishian?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dervishian on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.