2000
#25,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 923
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Hosseini
A Persian surname indicating an association with the city of Hossein or the family of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,051 Americans carry the last name Hosseini. That puts it at #15,716 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 167,116 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hosseini 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 Hosseini with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 167,116
Census rank
#15,716
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,789 bearers of the surname Hosseini in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15716th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hosseini, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hosseini
The surname "HOSSEINI" is of Persian origin, and it is derived from the Arabic name "Hussein," which means "handsome" or "beautiful." The name has its roots in the Middle East, particularly in Iran, where it is a common surname among Shia Muslims.
The history of the name "HOSSEINI" can be traced back to the 7th century, when it was first used as a patronymic name. Patronymic names were derived from the name of the father or an ancestor, and they were commonly used in many cultures, including the Persian culture.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name "HOSSEINI" can be found in the writings of medieval Persian scholars and poets. For example, the famous Persian poet Saadi Shirazi, who lived in the 13th century, mentioned the name in his works.
Over the centuries, the name "HOSSEINI" has been associated with several notable figures in Persian history and literature. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Sayyed Hosseini Isfahani, a renowned Persian calligrapher who lived in the 16th century.
Another notable figure with the surname "HOSSEINI" was Mirza Hosseini Tonekaboni, a prominent Persian philosopher and theologian who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his contributions to Islamic philosophy and his teachings on mysticism.
In the 19th century, the name "HOSSEINI" was borne by several influential Persian political figures. One of them was Mirza Hosseini Khan Sepahsalar, a prominent statesman and military leader who played a significant role in the Qajar dynasty.
In more recent times, the name "HOSSEINI" has gained international recognition through the works of the Afghan-American novelist Khaled Hosseini, the author of the bestselling novels "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns." Khaled Hosseini was born in 1965 in Kabul, Afghanistan, and his works have shed light on the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Afghan people.
Overall, the surname "HOSSEINI" has a rich and diverse history, spanning centuries and crossing cultural boundaries. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, the name has become a part of the global tapestry, representing the shared human experience and the enduring legacy of Persian culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hosseini
Among Census respondents with the surname Hosseini, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hosseini 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 Hosseini surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.1% · 1,290
- Two or more races14.4% · 258
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.2% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 55
- Black or African American1.0% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hosseini
Hosseini 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
#21,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,202
+279 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 3,527 places
2020
#15,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,789
+587 bearers (+48.8%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Up 5,956 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,199 | 923 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,672 | 1,202 | 0.41 | +279 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 3,527 places |
| 2020 | #15,716 | 1,789 | 0.60 | +587 bearers (+48.8%) | Up 5,956 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 Hosseini 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 | #21,672 | #15,716 | 27.5% |
| Count | 1,202 | 1,789 | 48.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.60 | 46.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hosseini bearers went from 1,202 to 1,789 (+48.8% change). The surname moved up 5,956 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,672 to #15,716.
FAQ
Hosseini surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hosseini?
Name Census estimates that about 2,051 living Americans carry the surname Hosseini. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 167,116 residents.
How common is Hosseini?
Hosseini ranks #15,716 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.60 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 1,789 people with the surname Hosseini. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.60 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 Hosseini.
Has Hosseini become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hosseini went from 1,202 recorded bearers to 1,789. That is an increase of 587 (+48.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,672 to #15,716.
What does the Census say about the background of Hosseini?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hosseini, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (14.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hosseini in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.1% (1,290 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hosseini appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.1%), Two or More Races (14.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.2%). 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 Hosseini (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 Hosseini mean?
A Persian surname indicating an association with the city of Hossein or the family of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussain. 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 Hosseini (0.60 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 Hosseini?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.