2000
#9,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,999
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Haider
A surname of Austrian origin, derived from the German word "heide," meaning one who dwells on a heath or moor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,471 Americans carry the last name Haider. That puts it at #6,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,649 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haider 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 Haider with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,649
Census rank
#6,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,771 bearers of the surname Haider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haider, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (31.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haider
The surname Haider is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "haidara" which means "lion" or "brave person." It is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions like modern-day Saudi Arabia and Iraq, during the early Islamic period.
The name is closely associated with the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was also known as Al-Haidara, meaning "the lion." This connection suggests that the name may have been adopted by some of Ali's descendants or followers as a way to honor him.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Haider can be found in the writings of medieval Arab historians and scholars, such as Ibn Ishaq's "Sirat Rasul Allah" (Biography of the Messenger of God), which dates back to the 8th century AD.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Haider, one notable example is Haider Ali (1722-1782), a renowned ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in southern India. He is renowned for his military prowess and for successfully resisting British colonial expansion during his reign.
Another notable figure is Haider Raza (1922-2016), an influential Indian painter who was a founding member of the Progressive Artists' Group and a key figure in the modern Indian art movement. His vibrant and abstract works were heavily influenced by his Indian heritage and explored themes of spirituality and nature.
In the literary world, Haider Khan (1642-1707), also known as Haider Quli Khan, was a renowned poet and scholar from the Mughal Empire. He wrote extensively in Persian and is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of Urdu literature.
The name Haider has also been associated with various place names, particularly in regions with a strong Muslim influence. For example, Haidara is a town in northern Iraq, and Haidar is a district in the city of Pune, India, named after the historical figure Haider Ali.
It is worth noting that while the surname Haider has its roots in the Middle East and Islamic history, it has since spread to various parts of the world and has been adopted by people of diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations or historical connections to the Middle East.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haider
Among Census respondents with the surname Haider, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (31.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Haider 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 Haider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander59.9% · 2,860
- White31.3% · 1,491
- Two or more races4.5% · 216
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 129
- Black or African American1.3% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haider
Haider 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
#8,070
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,107
+1,108 bearers (+36.9%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 1,859 places
2020
#6,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,771
+664 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 1,269 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,929 | 2,999 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,070 | 4,107 | 1.39 | +1,108 bearers (+36.9%) | Up 1,859 places |
| 2020 | #6,801 | 4,771 | 1.60 | +664 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 1,269 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 Haider 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 | #8,070 | #6,801 | 15.7% |
| Count | 4,107 | 4,771 | 16.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.60 | 14.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haider bearers went from 4,107 to 4,771 (+16.2% change). The surname moved up 1,269 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,070 to #6,801.
FAQ
Haider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haider?
Name Census estimates that about 5,471 living Americans carry the surname Haider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,649 residents.
How common is Haider?
Haider ranks #6,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 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 4,771 people with the surname Haider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 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 Haider.
Has Haider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haider went from 4,107 recorded bearers to 4,771. That is an increase of 664 (+16.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,070 to #6,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Haider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haider, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 59.9%. The next largest groups are White (31.3%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Haider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.9% (2,860 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (59.9%), White (31.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Haider (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 Haider mean?
A surname of Austrian origin, derived from the German word "heide," meaning one who dwells on a heath or moor. 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 Haider (1.60 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 Haider?
See how common the surname Haider is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.