2000
#25,098
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 927
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Farag
An Arabic surname meaning "one who has traveled much."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,655 Americans carry the last name Farag. That puts it at #12,731 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farag 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 Farag with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 129,098
Census rank
#12,731
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,315 bearers of the surname Farag in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12731st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farag, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farag
The surname Farag is an ancient Arabic name that originated in Egypt, specifically in the region of the Nile Delta. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "faraj," meaning relief or deliverance. The name's origins can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the Islamic conquest of Egypt.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farag can be found in the writings of renowned Arab historian and geographer, al-Masudi, who lived from 896 to 956 AD. In his work, "Muruj adh-dhahab wa ma'adin al-jawahir" (Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems), he mentions a man named Farag ibn Salih, a prominent scholar and poet from the region of Fayyum.
During the Mamluk period in Egypt, which lasted from 1250 to 1517 AD, the name Farag gained further prominence. One notable figure was Farag ibn Barquq, a powerful Mamluk sultan who ruled from 1399 to 1412 AD. He is credited with strengthening the Mamluk state and expanding its territories.
In the 16th century, a famous Egyptian scholar and traveler, Hasan al-Farag, embarked on a journey to Mecca and documented his experiences in a travelogue titled "Rihlat al-Farag" (The Journey of Farag). This work provided valuable insights into the cultural and religious practices of the time.
Another significant figure bearing the surname Farag was Mahmoud Farag, an Egyptian writer and journalist who lived from 1885 to 1956. He was a prominent figure in the Egyptian literary scene and played a crucial role in promoting the use of colloquial Arabic in literature.
In more recent history, Naguib Farag (1913-2000) was an Egyptian diplomat and politician who served as the Foreign Minister of Egypt from 1973 to 1977. He played a pivotal role in the negotiations leading to the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.
While the surname Farag is predominantly found in Egypt and the surrounding regions, it has also spread to other parts of the Arab world and beyond due to migration and cultural exchanges. However, its roots can be firmly traced back to the ancient lands of the Nile Delta, where it has stood as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farag
Among Census respondents with the surname Farag, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Farag 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 Farag surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,120
- Two or more races2.8% · 65
- Black or African American2.5% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farag
Farag 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
#20,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,305
+378 bearers (+40.8%)
Per 100,000 0.44
Rank movement Up 4,734 places
2020
#12,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,315
+1,010 bearers (+77.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 7,633 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,098 | 927 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #20,364 | 1,305 | 0.44 | +378 bearers (+40.8%) | Up 4,734 places |
| 2020 | #12,731 | 2,315 | 0.77 | +1,010 bearers (+77.4%) | Up 7,633 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 Farag 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 | #20,364 | #12,731 | 37.5% |
| Count | 1,305 | 2,315 | 77.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.44 | 0.77 | 76.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farag bearers went from 1,305 to 2,315 (+77.4% change). The surname moved up 7,633 positions in the national ranking, going from #20,364 to #12,731.
FAQ
Farag surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farag?
Name Census estimates that about 2,655 living Americans carry the surname Farag. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,098 residents.
How common is Farag?
Farag ranks #12,731 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,315 people with the surname Farag. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,655), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Farag.
Has Farag become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farag went from 1,305 recorded bearers to 2,315. That is an increase of 1,010 (+77.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #20,364 to #12,731.
What does the Census say about the background of Farag?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farag, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Farag in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farag appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Black (2.5%). 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 Farag (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 Farag mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "one who has traveled much." 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 Farag (0.77 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 have the last name Farag?
Want to know how many people have the surname Farag? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.