2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Esfandiary
A Persian surname denoting someone from the region of Esfahan/Isfahan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Esfandiary. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Esfandiary 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Esfandiary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Esfandiary, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Two or More Races (12.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Esfandiary
The surname "ESFANDIARY" is of Persian origin and can be traced back to the ancient region of Persia, which is now modern-day Iran. The name is derived from the Persian word "Esfand," which means "holy incense" or "sacred smoke." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals involved in religious ceremonies or rituals.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name "ESFANDIARY" can be found in the "Shahnameh," an epic Persian poem written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. In this poem, a character named "Esfandiar" is mentioned, which is likely the root of the surname "ESFANDIARY."
During the Safavid dynasty in Persia, which ruled from 1501 to 1736, the name "ESFANDIARY" gained prominence. This period saw a significant cultural and artistic renaissance in Persia, and many individuals with this surname were involved in various fields, including literature, poetry, and the arts.
One notable figure with the surname "ESFANDIARY" was Mirza Mohammad Esfandiari, a Persian poet and calligrapher who lived in the 17th century. His work was highly regarded, and he was known for his mastery of the Persian literary style known as "Sabk-e Hendi."
Another important individual with this surname was Mirza Reza Esfandiary, a influential Persian diplomat and statesman who served as the Ambassador of Persia to several European countries in the late 19th century. He played a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relations between Persia and various Western nations.
In the 20th century, a prominent figure with the surname "ESFANDIARY" was FM-2030, also known as Fereidoun M. Esfandiary. He was a futurist, author, and philosopher who advocated for transhumanism and the idea of extending human life through science and technology. FM-2030 was born in 1930 and passed away in 2000.
The name "ESFANDIARY" has also been associated with various place names in Iran, such as the village of Esfandiar in the province of Khuzestan. Additionally, there are variations in the spelling of the surname, including "Esfandyari," "Esfandiyari," and "Esfandyari."
Throughout history, the surname "ESFANDIARY" has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including poets, calligraphers, diplomats, philosophers, and intellectuals. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Persia, the name continues to hold significance and cultural relevance in modern times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Esfandiary
Among Census respondents with the surname Esfandiary, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Two or More Races (12.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Esfandiary 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 Esfandiary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino18.6% · 19
- Two or more races12.7% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Esfandiary
Esfandiary 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
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,303 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 Esfandiary 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 | #150,452 | #154,755 | -2.9% |
| Count | 109 | 102 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Esfandiary bearers went from 109 to 102 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,755.
FAQ
Esfandiary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Esfandiary?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Esfandiary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Esfandiary?
Esfandiary ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Esfandiary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Esfandiary.
Has Esfandiary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Esfandiary went from 109 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Esfandiary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Esfandiary, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.6%) and Two or More Races (12.7%). 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 Esfandiary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (64 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Esfandiary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.7%), Hispanic (18.6%), Two or More Races (12.7%). 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 Esfandiary (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 Esfandiary mean?
A Persian surname denoting someone from the region of Esfahan/Isfahan. 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 Esfandiary (0.03 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 Esfandiary?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.