2000
#40,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 509
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Rare Last name
Halili
An Arabic surname indicating a person who makes halili tea or is associated with its production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,038 Americans carry the last name Halili. That puts it at #28,086 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 330,206 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Halili 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 Halili with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 330,206
Census rank
#28,086
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
905
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 905 bearers of the surname Halili in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28086th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Halili, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.3%. The next largest groups are White (36.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Halili
The surname Halili is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region encompassing modern-day Iran, Iraq, and parts of Syria. Its roots can be traced back to the 9th century CE, during the height of the Abbasid Caliphate, when the name was first documented in historical records.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Halili can be found in the writings of the renowned Persian scholar and historian, al-Tabari, who lived from 838 to 923 CE. In his chronicles, he referenced a prominent figure named Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Halili, who served as a military commander under the Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir.
The name Halili is believed to derive from the Arabic word "hallal," which means "lawful" or "permissible." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who were perceived as upholding religious or moral principles. Alternatively, some scholars suggest that the name could be linked to the town of Hillah, located in central Iraq, which was an important center of Islamic learning and culture during the medieval period.
Over the centuries, the name Halili has been found in various historical records and manuscripts across the Middle East. One notable example is the Kitab al-Aghani, a 10th-century anthology of Arabic poetry and songs, which mentions a poet named Abu al-Qasim al-Halili, who lived during the late 9th century.
As the name spread beyond its region of origin, it underwent various spelling variations, including Halili, Halili, and Halili. In the 12th century, the name appeared in the writings of the renowned Persian poet and philosopher, Rumi, who referenced a Sufi mystic named Shams al-Din Halili in his works.
Among the most famous historical figures to bear the surname Halili was Abu Bakr al-Halili, a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in Baghdad during the 11th century. He was known for his extensive knowledge of Islamic law and his contributions to the field of Hadith studies.
Another notable figure was Yahya al-Halili, a 13th-century mathematician and astronomer from Aleppo, Syria. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was responsible for developing advanced astronomical instruments and calculations.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Ibn al-Halili emerged as a renowned physician and philosopher in Cairo, Egypt. He authored several influential works on medicine and philosophy, which were widely studied throughout the Islamic world.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name Halili was also associated with several influential figures, including Mustafa al-Halili, a 16th-century Ottoman statesman and military commander who played a significant role in the expansion of the empire's territories.
Throughout its long history, the surname Halili has been carried by individuals from various professions and backgrounds, including scholars, poets, artists, and rulers. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Halili
Among Census respondents with the surname Halili, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.3%. The next largest groups are White (36.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Halili 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 Halili surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander58.3% · 528
- White36.1% · 327
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 28
- Two or more races2.3% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Halili
Halili 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
#33,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
+184 bearers (+36.1%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 7,429 places
2020
#28,086
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 905
+212 bearers (+30.6%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Up 4,950 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #40,465 | 509 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,036 | 693 | 0.23 | +184 bearers (+36.1%) | Up 7,429 places |
| 2020 | #28,086 | 905 | 0.30 | +212 bearers (+30.6%) | Up 4,950 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 Halili 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 | #33,036 | #28,086 | 15.0% |
| Count | 693 | 905 | 30.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.30 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Halili bearers went from 693 to 905 (+30.6% change). The surname moved up 4,950 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,036 to #28,086.
FAQ
Halili surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Halili?
Name Census estimates that about 1,038 living Americans carry the surname Halili. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 330,206 residents.
How common is Halili?
Halili ranks #28,086 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 905 people with the surname Halili. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,038), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Halili.
Has Halili become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Halili went from 693 recorded bearers to 905. That is an increase of 212 (+30.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #33,036 to #28,086.
What does the Census say about the background of Halili?
Among Census respondents with the surname Halili, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 58.3%. The next largest groups are White (36.1%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Halili in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.3% (528 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Halili appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (58.3%), White (36.1%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Halili (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 Halili mean?
An Arabic surname indicating a person who makes halili tea or is associated with its production. 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 Halili (0.30 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 Halili?
Find out how many people are called Halili on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.