2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hitti
A surname possibly derived from the Aramaic word for mud or clay.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 149 Americans carry the last name Hitti. That puts it at #134,631 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,300,365 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hitti 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.
Bearers in the US
149
1 in 2,300,365
Census rank
#134,631
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
130
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 130 bearers of the surname Hitti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 134631st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hitti, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hitti
The surname Hitti is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region known as the Levant, which includes modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and parts of Turkey. The name has its roots in the Arabic language and is thought to be derived from the word "hitt," which means "wall" or "rampart."
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Hitti can be found in historical documents from the 12th century, during the time of the Crusades. These records mention individuals bearing the name Hitti who lived in the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. It is possible that the name was initially associated with those who lived or worked near fortified walls or defensive structures.
In the 14th century, there are accounts of a prominent family with the surname Hitti residing in the city of Damascus, Syria. This family was known for their involvement in trade and commerce, and their name appeared in various business records and transactions of the time.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Levant region, which lasted from the 16th to the early 20th century, the Hitti surname continued to be present. Several individuals with this name held influential positions within the Ottoman administration, suggesting that the Hitti family had gained significant status and recognition.
One notable figure from this time period was Ibrahim Hitti (1619-1690), a scholar and historian who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Levant region. His works are considered valuable sources of information about life during the Ottoman era.
In the 19th century, as emigration from the Middle East to the Americas and other parts of the world increased, the Hitti surname began to appear in new locations. Philip Khuri Hitti (1886-1978), a renowned scholar and author, was born in Lebanon but later emigrated to the United States, where he became a professor at Princeton University and made significant contributions to the field of Middle Eastern studies.
Another notable individual with the Hitti surname was Nasri Hitti (1903-1982), a Lebanese-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Hitti Foundation, which supported educational and cultural initiatives in Lebanon and the United States.
Throughout its history, the surname Hitti has been associated with various professions, including academics, writers, merchants, and government officials. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, the name has since spread to different parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hitti
Among Census respondents with the surname Hitti, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Hitti 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 Hitti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 130
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hitti
Hitti 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+27 bearers (+25.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 15,023 places
2020
#134,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-5 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,866 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +27 bearers (+25.0%) | Up 15,023 places |
| 2020 | #134,631 | 130 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 7,866 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 Hitti 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 | #126,765 | #134,631 | -6.2% |
| Count | 135 | 130 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hitti bearers went from 135 to 130 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 7,866 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #134,631.
FAQ
Hitti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hitti?
Name Census estimates that about 149 living Americans carry the surname Hitti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,300,365 residents.
How common is Hitti?
Hitti ranks #134,631 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 130 people with the surname Hitti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Hitti.
Has Hitti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hitti went from 135 recorded bearers to 130. That is a decrease of 5 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #134,631.
What does the Census say about the background of Hitti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hitti, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Hitti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (130 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hitti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Hitti (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 Hitti mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Aramaic word for mud or clay. 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 Hitti (0.04 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 Hitti?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.