2000
#21,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.43
Rare Last name
Hamad
A surname of Arabic origin, meaning "praised" or "lauded".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,204 Americans carry the last name Hamad. That puts it at #10,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamad 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 Hamad with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,977
Census rank
#10,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,794 bearers of the surname Hamad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamad, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamad
The surname HAMAD is an Arabic name derived from the root word "hamd" meaning "praise" or "laudation." It is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, specifically in regions like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Gulf countries, where Arabic is the predominant language.
The earliest recorded instances of the name HAMAD can be traced back to the 7th century CE, around the time of the Islamic expansion in the Middle East. Some historical accounts suggest that the name was associated with individuals who were known for their piety and devotion to religious practices, as the concept of "praise" is deeply rooted in Islamic teachings.
During the medieval period, the name HAMAD appeared in various Arabic manuscripts and records, particularly in regions under Islamic rule. One notable example is the inclusion of individuals bearing this surname in the historical chronicles of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled a vast territory spanning from North Africa to Central Asia between the 8th and 13th centuries.
In the later centuries, the surname HAMAD continued to be prevalent among Arab populations, and it was carried by several influential figures throughout history. One such person was Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Hamad, a prominent scholar and jurist who lived in the 12th century and made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence.
Another notable individual was Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa, the founder of the Al Khalifa dynasty, which has ruled the Kingdom of Bahrain since the late 18th century. Born in 1751, Hamad ibn Isa played a crucial role in establishing the modern state of Bahrain and securing its independence.
In the 19th century, Hamad bin Abdullah Al Shuaib, a renowned Arab poet and writer from Saudi Arabia, gained recognition for his literary works and contributions to Arabic literature. He was born in 1856 and is considered one of the foremost poets of the Najd region.
The name HAMAD has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations in the Arab world. For instance, Hamad Town is a municipality located in Bahrain, named after the ruling Al Khalifa family. Additionally, there are several villages and towns in Saudi Arabia that bear the name "Hamad" or variations of it, reflecting the historical presence of individuals with this surname in those areas.
Throughout its long history, the surname HAMAD has maintained its significance and cultural connections within the Arab world, serving as a testament to the rich linguistic heritage and traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamad
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamad, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Hamad 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 Hamad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.4% · 2,163
- Black or African American11.4% · 319
- Two or more races5.6% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamad
Hamad 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
#17,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,657
+504 bearers (+43.7%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 4,089 places
2020
#10,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,794
+1,137 bearers (+68.6%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 6,226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #21,209 | 1,153 | 0.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,120 | 1,657 | 0.56 | +504 bearers (+43.7%) | Up 4,089 places |
| 2020 | #10,894 | 2,794 | 0.93 | +1,137 bearers (+68.6%) | Up 6,226 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 Hamad 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 | #17,120 | #10,894 | 36.4% |
| Count | 1,657 | 2,794 | 68.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.93 | 66.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamad bearers went from 1,657 to 2,794 (+68.6% change). The surname moved up 6,226 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,120 to #10,894.
FAQ
Hamad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamad?
Name Census estimates that about 3,204 living Americans carry the surname Hamad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,977 residents.
How common is Hamad?
Hamad ranks #10,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 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 2,794 people with the surname Hamad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,204), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 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 Hamad.
Has Hamad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamad went from 1,657 recorded bearers to 2,794. That is an increase of 1,137 (+68.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,120 to #10,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamad, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.4%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Hamad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (2,163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.4%), Black (11.4%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Hamad (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 Hamad mean?
A surname of Arabic origin, meaning "praised" or "lauded". 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 Hamad (0.93 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 Hamad?
You can see how many people are called Hamad on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.