2000
#24,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 964
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Farooq
A surname indicating someone who lived up to the very highest standards of moral and spiritual integrity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,292 Americans carry the last name Farooq. That puts it at #10,638 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,117 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farooq 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 Farooq with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 104,117
Census rank
#10,638
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,871 bearers of the surname Farooq in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10638th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farooq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farooq
The surname Farooq has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Farouq," which means "the one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood." This name has a rich history and can be traced back to the Middle East and the Islamic tradition.
The earliest known record of the name Farooq dates back to the 7th century, during the time of the Rashidun Caliphate in Arabia. It was associated with the second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, who was given the honorific title "Al-Farooq" for his ability to distinguish between right and wrong.
In the centuries that followed, the name Farooq spread across the Islamic world, from North Africa to Central Asia. It became particularly prevalent in regions with a strong Islamic influence, such as modern-day Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Farooq can be found in the writings of the famous Islamic scholar and historian, Al-Tabari, who lived from 838 to 923 CE. He recorded the deeds and accomplishments of several individuals bearing the name Farooq.
The name also appears in various historical manuscripts and chronicles from the medieval period, particularly those written in Arabic and Persian. For example, the 11th-century Persian poet and scholar, Firdausi, mentioned a character named Farooq in his epic poem, the Shahnameh.
Over the centuries, the name Farooq has been borne by many notable figures, including:
1. Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869), a renowned Urdu and Persian poet from the Indian subcontinent.
2. Farooq Ahmad (1930-2019), a Pakistani diplomat and former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.
3. Farooq Abdullah (born 1937), an Indian politician and the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
4. Farooq Leghari (1940-2010), a Pakistani politician who served as the President of Pakistan from 1993 to 1997.
5. Farooq Sattar (born 1956), a Pakistani politician and former leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) political party.
Despite its Arabic origins, the surname Farooq has found a place in various cultures and communities around the world, reflecting the rich diversity and history of human migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farooq
Among Census respondents with the surname Farooq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Farooq 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 Farooq surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.8% · 2,522
- White4.6% · 132
- Two or more races4.2% · 122
- Black or African American2.1% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farooq
Farooq 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
#16,295
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,770
+806 bearers (+83.6%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 8,055 places
2020
#10,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,871
+1,101 bearers (+62.2%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 5,657 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,350 | 964 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,295 | 1,770 | 0.60 | +806 bearers (+83.6%) | Up 8,055 places |
| 2020 | #10,638 | 2,871 | 0.96 | +1,101 bearers (+62.2%) | Up 5,657 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 Farooq 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 | #16,295 | #10,638 | 34.7% |
| Count | 1,770 | 2,871 | 62.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.96 | 60.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farooq bearers went from 1,770 to 2,871 (+62.2% change). The surname moved up 5,657 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,295 to #10,638.
FAQ
Farooq surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farooq?
Name Census estimates that about 3,292 living Americans carry the surname Farooq. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,117 residents.
How common is Farooq?
Farooq ranks #10,638 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,871 people with the surname Farooq. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,292), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Farooq.
Has Farooq become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farooq went from 1,770 recorded bearers to 2,871. That is an increase of 1,101 (+62.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,295 to #10,638.
What does the Census say about the background of Farooq?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farooq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Farooq in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (2,522 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farooq appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.8%), White (4.6%), 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 Farooq (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 Farooq mean?
A surname indicating someone who lived up to the very highest standards of moral and spiritual integrity. 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 Farooq (0.96 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 Farooq?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.