2000
#34,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 626
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Hadi
An Arabic surname meaning guide or leader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,081 Americans carry the last name Hadi. That puts it at #15,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,707 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hadi 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 Hadi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,707
Census rank
#15,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,815 bearers of the surname Hadi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hadi, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.8%) and Two or More Races (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hadi
The surname HADI has its origins in the Middle Eastern and North African regions, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 7th century. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "hadi," which means "guide" or "leader," indicating that the name may have been given to individuals who were respected for their wisdom and guidance within their communities.
The HADI surname can be traced back to various regions within the Arab world, including modern-day Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Egypt. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Fatimid Dynasty's records from the 10th century, where a nobleman named Ali ibn HADI is mentioned as a prominent figure in the court.
In the 12th century, a renowned poet and scholar from Persia, Abu'l-Qasim HADI, gained recognition for his contributions to literature and Islamic studies. His works were widely read and studied throughout the region, further solidifying the HADI name's association with intellectual and cultural pursuits.
During the Ottoman Empire's reign, the HADI surname was also found among the ruling elite and military leaders. One notable figure was Mustafa HADI Pasha, who served as the Grand Vizier (prime minister) of the Ottoman Empire in the late 17th century.
In more recent history, the HADI name has gained prominence in various fields. For instance, Sadiq al-HADI al-Mahdi was a prominent Sudanese politician and leader of the Ansar religious movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Another notable figure was Ahmed HADI, an Iraqi poet and writer who was instrumental in the development of modern Arabic literature in the early 20th century.
The HADI surname has also been linked to several place names throughout the Middle East and North Africa. For example, the town of Hadi in Yemen, as well as the village of Hadi in Algeria, both likely derived their names from individuals bearing the HADI surname who were influential in those regions.
Overall, the HADI surname has a rich history spanning centuries and across multiple countries, reflecting its roots in the Arab world and its association with leadership, intellectual pursuits, and cultural contributions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hadi
Among Census respondents with the surname Hadi, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.8%) and Two or More Races (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hadi 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 Hadi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.4% · 914
- Asian and Pacific Islander32.8% · 595
- Two or more races8.4% · 153
- Black or African American7.5% · 136
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hadi
Hadi 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
#22,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,149
+523 bearers (+83.5%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 11,855 places
2020
#15,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,815
+666 bearers (+58.0%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 6,879 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,259 | 626 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,404 | 1,149 | 0.39 | +523 bearers (+83.5%) | Up 11,855 places |
| 2020 | #15,525 | 1,815 | 0.61 | +666 bearers (+58.0%) | Up 6,879 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 Hadi 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 | #22,404 | #15,525 | 30.7% |
| Count | 1,149 | 1,815 | 58.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.61 | 55.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hadi bearers went from 1,149 to 1,815 (+58.0% change). The surname moved up 6,879 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,404 to #15,525.
FAQ
Hadi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hadi?
Name Census estimates that about 2,081 living Americans carry the surname Hadi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,707 residents.
How common is Hadi?
Hadi ranks #15,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,815 people with the surname Hadi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,081), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Hadi.
Has Hadi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hadi went from 1,149 recorded bearers to 1,815. That is an increase of 666 (+58.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,404 to #15,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Hadi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hadi, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.8%) and Two or More Races (8.4%). 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 Hadi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.4% (914 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hadi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (32.8%), Two or More Races (8.4%). 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 Hadi (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 Hadi mean?
An Arabic surname meaning guide or leader. 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 Hadi (0.61 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 Hadi?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.