2000
#10,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,932
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Uncommon Last name
Hossain
A Persian surname meaning "good," "handsome," or "beneficent," often bestowed upon descendants of Imam Husayn, grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,448 Americans carry the last name Hossain. That puts it at #2,784 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,723 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hossain 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 Hossain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,723
Census rank
#2,784
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,599 bearers of the surname Hossain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2784th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hossain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hossain
The surname HOSSAIN has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arab world. It is derived from the Arabic word "Hussain," which means "good" or "handsome." The name traces its roots back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of Islamic civilization.
The name HOSSAIN gained prominence due to its association with Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and one of the most revered figures in Shia Islam. Husayn ibn Ali, who lived from 626 to 680 AD, played a crucial role in the early Islamic struggles and is remembered for his martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname HOSSAIN can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and chronicles, where it was often used to refer to the descendants or followers of Husayn ibn Ali. Over time, the name spread across the Muslim world, particularly in regions with significant Shia populations, such as Iran, Iraq, and parts of South Asia.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname HOSSAIN was Hossain ibn Ali al-Husayni (1054-1112), a renowned Islamic scholar and poet from Persia (modern-day Iran). Another notable figure was Hossain Al-Marzouqi (1325-1399), a prominent Arab historian and writer from Yemen.
In the Indian subcontinent, the surname HOSSAIN gained prominence during the Mughal Empire, which ruled over large parts of the region from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Several prominent figures from this period bore the surname, including Hossain Shah (1539-1599), the last Sultan of Bengal, and Mirza Hossain Ali Khan Bahadur (1837-1907), a prominent landowner and philanthropist from Bengal.
Other notable individuals with the surname HOSSAIN include Fazlur Rahman Hossain (1908-1982), a renowned Bangladeshi writer and intellectual, and Anwar Hossain (1931-2022), a pioneering Bangladeshi film director and screenwriter.
Throughout its history, the surname HOSSAIN has been associated with a rich cultural heritage and has been borne by scholars, poets, rulers, and influential figures across various fields, reflecting its deep-rooted significance in the Muslim world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hossain
Among Census respondents with the surname Hossain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hossain 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 Hossain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.7% · 11,808
- White2.2% · 278
- Two or more races2.0% · 254
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 125
- Black or African American0.8% · 104
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hossain
Hossain 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
#5,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,978
+3,046 bearers (+103.9%)
Per 100,000 2.03
Rank movement Up 4,330 places
2020
#2,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,599
+6,621 bearers (+110.8%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Up 3,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,118 | 2,932 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,788 | 5,978 | 2.03 | +3,046 bearers (+103.9%) | Up 4,330 places |
| 2020 | #2,784 | 12,599 | 4.22 | +6,621 bearers (+110.8%) | Up 3,004 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 Hossain 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 | #5,788 | #2,784 | 51.9% |
| Count | 5,978 | 12,599 | 110.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.03 | 4.22 | 107.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hossain bearers went from 5,978 to 12,599 (+110.8% change). The surname moved up 3,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,788 to #2,784.
FAQ
Hossain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hossain?
Name Census estimates that about 14,448 living Americans carry the surname Hossain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,723 residents.
How common is Hossain?
Hossain ranks #2,784 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,599 people with the surname Hossain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,448), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Hossain.
Has Hossain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hossain went from 5,978 recorded bearers to 12,599. That is an increase of 6,621 (+110.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,788 to #2,784.
What does the Census say about the background of Hossain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hossain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.7%. The next largest groups are White (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hossain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (11,808 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hossain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.7%), White (2.2%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Hossain (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 Hossain mean?
A Persian surname meaning "good," "handsome," or "beneficent," often bestowed upon descendants of Imam Husayn, grandson of Prophet Muhammad. 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 Hossain (4.22 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 are called Hossain?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Hossain at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.