2000
#83,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Fadul
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "grace" or "generosity".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 511 Americans carry the last name Fadul. That puts it at #50,632 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 670,752 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fadul 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
511
1 in 670,752
Census rank
#50,632
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
446
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 446 bearers of the surname Fadul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50632nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fadul, the largest self-reported group is Black at 34.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fadul
The surname FADUL has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic-speaking regions. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 10th to 12th centuries.
One theory suggests that FADUL is derived from the Arabic word "fadl," which means "grace," "virtue," or "excellence." This name could have been given to individuals who displayed admirable qualities or held esteemed positions within their communities.
Another possible origin lies in the Arabic word "fadala," meaning "to prefer" or "to choose." FADUL may have been a descriptive surname for someone who was highly regarded or chosen for a particular role or responsibility.
Early records of the name FADUL can be found in various historical documents from the Middle East and North Africa. For instance, it appears in the chronicles of medieval Islamic scholars and poets, indicating its presence among the educated classes.
One notable figure bearing the surname FADUL was Al-Fadl ibn Yahya al-Barmaki (766-808), a prominent vizier (prime minister) during the Abbasid Caliphate. He was known for his intellectual prowess and served under the renowned Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
In the 13th century, a scholar named Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Fadul (1228-1286) gained recognition for his works in Islamic jurisprudence and theology. He hailed from the city of Damascus and was highly respected by his contemporaries.
During the Ottoman Empire, the surname FADUL was also found among the ruling elite and military ranks. A notable example is Mehmed Fadul Pasha (1590-1654), a Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire who played a crucial role in the conquest of Baghdad in 1638.
As the name spread across the Middle East and North Africa, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. For instance, the name FADL or FADEL is a closely related variant that shares the same linguistic roots.
In more recent history, one prominent figure with the surname FADUL was Mustafa Fadul (1920-1998), an Egyptian diplomat and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Egypt from 1973 to 1975.
It is worth noting that while the surname FADUL is more commonly found in Arabic-speaking regions, it has also been carried by individuals of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds due to migration and cultural exchange throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fadul
Among Census respondents with the surname Fadul, the largest self-reported group is Black at 34.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Fadul 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 Fadul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American34.3% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino24.0% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.1% · 94
- White17.3% · 77
- Two or more races3.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fadul
Fadul 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
#64,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 308
+97 bearers (+46.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 18,445 places
2020
#50,632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 446
+138 bearers (+44.8%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 13,927 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #83,004 | 211 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #64,559 | 308 | 0.10 | +97 bearers (+46.0%) | Up 18,445 places |
| 2020 | #50,632 | 446 | 0.15 | +138 bearers (+44.8%) | Up 13,927 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 Fadul 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 | #64,559 | #50,632 | 21.6% |
| Count | 308 | 446 | 44.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.15 | 49.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fadul bearers went from 308 to 446 (+44.8% change). The surname moved up 13,927 positions in the national ranking, going from #64,559 to #50,632.
FAQ
Fadul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fadul?
Name Census estimates that about 511 living Americans carry the surname Fadul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 670,752 residents.
How common is Fadul?
Fadul ranks #50,632 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 446 people with the surname Fadul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (511), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Fadul.
Has Fadul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fadul went from 308 recorded bearers to 446. That is an increase of 138 (+44.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #64,559 to #50,632.
What does the Census say about the background of Fadul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fadul, the largest self-reported group is Black at 34.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (24.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Fadul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 34.3% (153 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fadul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (34.3%), Hispanic (24.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.1%). 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 Fadul (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 Fadul mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "grace" or "generosity". 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 Fadul (0.15 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 share the surname Fadul?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.