2000
#31,738
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 688
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Haji
A surname referring to someone who has completed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,676 Americans carry the last name Haji. That puts it at #12,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,085 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haji 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 Haji with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,085
Census rank
#12,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,334 bearers of the surname Haji in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.8%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haji
The surname "Haji" originates from the Arabic language and is believed to have its roots in the Middle East, particularly in regions with a significant Muslim population. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Hajji," which refers to a person who has completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, a sacred journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "Haji" can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic caliphate. It was commonly used as an honorific title for those who had undertaken the Hajj pilgrimage, signifying their religious devotion and the spiritual significance of their journey. Over time, the title became a surname, passed down through generations of Muslim families.
One of the earliest known references to the name "Haji" can be found in the historical accounts of the Umayyad Caliphate, which ruled from 661 to 750 AD. During this period, several prominent figures bore the surname, including Haji Ibn Battuta, a renowned Moroccan explorer and traveler who journeyed across vast regions of Asia and Africa in the 14th century (1304-1369 AD).
Another notable figure was Haji Bektash Veli, a 13th-century Turkish mystic and philosopher who founded the Bektashi Sufi order. His teachings and spiritual guidance had a profound impact on the development of Sufism in Anatolia and beyond (1209-1271 AD).
In the realm of literature, the name "Haji" is associated with Haji Molla Panah Vagif, an 18th-century Azerbaijani poet and satirist who is considered one of the most influential figures in the golden age of Azerbaijani literature (1717-1797 AD).
During the Ottoman Empire, the surname "Haji" gained prominence, and many influential figures bore it, such as Haji Bayram Veli, a 15th-century Turkish poet and Sufi mystic who founded the Bayramiyya order of dervishes (1352-1429 AD).
In more recent times, Haji Muhammad Mohsin, a prominent Indian Muslim scholar and author from the 19th century, made significant contributions to the study of Islamic law and jurisprudence (1804-1880 AD).
While the surname "Haji" has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic traditions, it has been adopted by various cultures and communities across the Middle East, North Africa, and regions with significant Muslim populations. The name continues to hold spiritual and cultural significance, serving as a reminder of the Hajj pilgrimage and the shared heritage of those who bear it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haji
Among Census respondents with the surname Haji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.8%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Haji 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 Haji surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American64.8% · 1,513
- White20.2% · 472
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.2% · 262
- Two or more races3.0% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haji
Haji 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
#17,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,608
+920 bearers (+133.7%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Up 14,217 places
2020
#12,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,334
+726 bearers (+45.1%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 4,891 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,738 | 688 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,521 | 1,608 | 0.55 | +920 bearers (+133.7%) | Up 14,217 places |
| 2020 | #12,630 | 2,334 | 0.78 | +726 bearers (+45.1%) | Up 4,891 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 Haji 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 | #17,521 | #12,630 | 27.9% |
| Count | 1,608 | 2,334 | 45.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.78 | 42.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haji bearers went from 1,608 to 2,334 (+45.1% change). The surname moved up 4,891 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,521 to #12,630.
FAQ
Haji surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haji?
Name Census estimates that about 2,676 living Americans carry the surname Haji. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,085 residents.
How common is Haji?
Haji ranks #12,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,334 people with the surname Haji. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,676), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Haji.
Has Haji become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haji went from 1,608 recorded bearers to 2,334. That is an increase of 726 (+45.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,521 to #12,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Haji?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haji, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.8%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Haji in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (1,513 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haji appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (64.8%), White (20.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.2%). 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 Haji (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 Haji mean?
A surname referring to someone who has completed the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. 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 Haji (0.78 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 Haji?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.