2000
#72,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 248
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Fattah
An Arabic surname meaning "conqueror" or "opener."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 542 Americans carry the last name Fattah. That puts it at #48,236 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 632,388 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fattah 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 Fattah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
542
1 in 632,388
Census rank
#48,236
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
473
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 473 bearers of the surname Fattah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48236th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fattah, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and Hispanic (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fattah
The surname "FATTAH" is of Arabic origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "fattah," which means "conqueror" or "opener." The name is believed to have emerged during the early Islamic period, around the 7th century AD, when the Arabic language and culture were spreading across the Middle East and parts of North Africa.
One of the earliest known references to the surname FATTAH can be found in the medieval Islamic manuscripts, where it was used to refer to individuals who were known for their military prowess or their ability to conquer new territories. These manuscripts often recorded the names of prominent individuals, including warriors, scholars, and religious leaders.
The FATTAH surname gained prominence during the reign of various Islamic dynasties, such as the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. It was commonly associated with individuals who held positions of power or authority within these empires. Some notable historical figures bearing the name FATTAH include:
1. Al-Fattah ibn Khaqan (c. 8th century AD), a renowned Arab general and military commander who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Abbasid Caliphate.
2. Ibn al-Fattah al-Qarshi (c. 12th century AD), a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist from the Maliki school of jurisprudence.
3. Fatima al-Fattah (c. 14th century AD), a renowned female poet and scholar from the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt.
4. Mahmud al-Fattah (c. 16th century AD), a influential political figure and advisor to the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
5. Ali ibn al-Fattah (c. 17th century AD), a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian from the Maghreb region of North Africa.
The surname FATTAH was also associated with various place names and toponyms throughout the Middle East and North Africa. For instance, the name "Fattah" was often used to refer to specific towns, villages, or regions that were conquered or opened up for settlement during the Islamic expansion.
Over time, the FATTAH surname spread across different parts of the Arab world, including the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of North Africa. It continued to be used by families with ties to military or political leadership, as well as those associated with religious scholarship and intellectual pursuits.
While the surname FATTAH retains its historical significance and connections to the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has also been adopted by individuals of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, particularly in regions with a strong Arabic influence or presence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fattah
Among Census respondents with the surname Fattah, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and Hispanic (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fattah 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 Fattah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 355
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.7% · 46
- Hispanic or Latino6.3% · 30
- Two or more races4.7% · 22
- Black or African American4.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fattah
Fattah 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
#62,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 318
+70 bearers (+28.2%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 10,002 places
2020
#48,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 473
+155 bearers (+48.7%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 14,667 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,905 | 248 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #62,903 | 318 | 0.11 | +70 bearers (+28.2%) | Up 10,002 places |
| 2020 | #48,236 | 473 | 0.16 | +155 bearers (+48.7%) | Up 14,667 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 Fattah 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 | #62,903 | #48,236 | 23.3% |
| Count | 318 | 473 | 48.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.16 | 43.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fattah bearers went from 318 to 473 (+48.7% change). The surname moved up 14,667 positions in the national ranking, going from #62,903 to #48,236.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fattah
FAQ
Fattah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fattah?
Name Census estimates that about 542 living Americans carry the surname Fattah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 632,388 residents.
How common is Fattah?
Fattah ranks #48,236 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 473 people with the surname Fattah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (542), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Fattah.
Has Fattah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fattah went from 318 recorded bearers to 473. That is an increase of 155 (+48.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #62,903 to #48,236.
What does the Census say about the background of Fattah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fattah, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%) and Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Fattah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (355 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fattah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.7%), Hispanic (6.3%). 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 Fattah (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 Fattah mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "conqueror" or "opener." 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 Fattah (0.16 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 Fattah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.