2000
#6,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,828
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Faris
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "knight," "horseman," or "rider."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,875 Americans carry the last name Faris. That puts it at #6,384 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,341 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Faris 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 Faris with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,341
Census rank
#6,384
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,123 bearers of the surname Faris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6384th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Faris, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Faris
The surname Faris is of Arabic origin, tracing its roots back to the ancient Middle Eastern region. It is derived from the Arabic word "faris," which translates to "knight" or "horseman." This etymology suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who were skilled horsemen or cavalrymen.
In the early days of Islam, during the 7th and 8th centuries, the term "faris" held great significance as it referred to the elite cavalry units that played a pivotal role in military campaigns and conquests. These horsemen were highly respected for their bravery, horsemanship, and combat prowess.
The surname Faris can be traced back to numerous historical records, including ancient manuscripts and chronicles. One notable mention is found in the "Kitab al-Aghani," a renowned collection of Arabic poems and songs compiled in the 9th century. This work contains references to individuals bearing the name Faris, indicating its widespread use during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Faris is found in the writings of the celebrated Arab historian and philosopher, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406). He documented the exploits of a distinguished military commander named Abu Bakr al-Faris, who led the armies of the Marinid dynasty in North Africa during the 14th century.
Another historically significant figure with the surname Faris was Ali ibn Isa al-Faris (d. 1015), a prominent Arab mathematician and astronomer from Baghdad. His contributions to the fields of trigonometry and spherical geometry were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and continue to be recognized by scholars today.
In the realm of literature, the name Faris is associated with the renowned Arab poet and writer, Ameen Faris al-Shidyaq (1804-1887). Born in Lebanon, he was a pioneer of the Arabic literary renaissance and played a crucial role in reviving and modernizing the Arabic language.
Jumping forward in time, the 20th century saw the rise of Mahmoud Faris (1915-1996), an influential Egyptian diplomat and politician who served as the Secretary-General of the Arab League from 1964 to 1972. His efforts in promoting Arab unity and resolving regional conflicts left a lasting impact on the Middle Eastern political landscape.
Throughout history, the surname Faris has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, writers, military leaders, and statesmen. While the name's origins can be traced back to the ancient Middle East, its presence has been documented across various regions, reflecting the widespread influence of Arab culture and civilization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Faris
Among Census respondents with the surname Faris, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Faris 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 Faris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 4,405
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 278
- Two or more races4.2% · 213
- Black or African American2.7% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Faris
Faris 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
#6,321
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,401
+573 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Up 167 places
2020
#6,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,123
-278 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.71
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,488 | 4,828 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,321 | 5,401 | 1.83 | +573 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 167 places |
| 2020 | #6,384 | 5,123 | 1.71 | -278 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 63 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 Faris 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 | #6,321 | #6,384 | -1.0% |
| Count | 5,401 | 5,123 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 1.71 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Faris bearers went from 5,401 to 5,123 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,321 to #6,384.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Faris
FAQ
Faris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Faris?
Name Census estimates that about 5,875 living Americans carry the surname Faris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,341 residents.
How common is Faris?
Faris ranks #6,384 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,123 people with the surname Faris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,875), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Faris.
Has Faris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Faris went from 5,401 recorded bearers to 5,123. That is a decrease of 278 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,321 to #6,384.
What does the Census say about the background of Faris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Faris, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Faris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (4,405 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Faris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (5.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Faris (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 Faris mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "knight," "horseman," or "rider." 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 Faris (1.71 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 Faris?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Faris, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.