2000
#13,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Husain
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "good" or "handsome," derived from the Arabic name "Ḥusayn."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,690 Americans carry the last name Husain. That puts it at #9,648 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,887 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Husain 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 Husain with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,887
Census rank
#9,648
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,218 bearers of the surname Husain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9648th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Husain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.1%. The next largest groups are White (12.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Husain
The surname HUSAIN has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabic-speaking regions. It is derived from the Arabic name "Husayn," which has its roots in the ancient Semitic language of Arabic. The name "Husayn" is believed to have originated from the Arabic word "husn," meaning "beauty" or "fortification."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HUSAIN can be found in the Islamic historical records, where it was associated with Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and a prominent figure in early Islamic history. Husayn ibn Ali lived from 626 to 680 CE and played a significant role in the early Islamic caliphate.
The surname HUSAIN gained widespread recognition and usage among Muslims, particularly those of Shia and Sunni denominations. It became a common surname in regions such as Iran, Iraq, and parts of the Indian subcontinent, where Islam had a strong presence.
In the Middle Ages, the name HUSAIN appeared in various historical documents and manuscripts, reflecting its widespread use among the Muslim population. One notable example is the mention of individuals with the surname HUSAIN in the Persian literary works of the 10th and 11th centuries.
Over the centuries, several prominent figures have borne the surname HUSAIN. One noteworthy individual was Husain Shah, the ruler of the Bahmani Sultanate in the Deccan region of India during the 15th century (1451-1458 CE). Another significant figure was Mir Husain, a renowned Persian poet and scholar who lived in the 16th century (1537-1610 CE).
In more recent history, Zakir Husain (1897-1969) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer, and the third President of India from 1967 to 1969. Another notable individual was Syed Husain Tahir (1909-1988), a renowned Pakistani philosopher, scholar, and the first Muslim Vice-Chancellor of the University of Karachi.
The surname HUSAIN has also been associated with various place names and older spellings of locations, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia. For example, the city of Husainabad in Uttar Pradesh, India, and the town of Husayn Deh in Iran are named after individuals bearing the surname HUSAIN.
While the surname HUSAIN has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has also been adopted and used by individuals of various ethnic and religious backgrounds, particularly in regions with a significant Muslim population or influence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Husain
Among Census respondents with the surname Husain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.1%. The next largest groups are White (12.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Husain 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 Husain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander76.1% · 2,449
- White12.2% · 394
- Two or more races6.6% · 213
- Black or African American3.4% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Husain
Husain 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
#12,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,562
+454 bearers (+21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 1,113 places
2020
#9,648
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,218
+656 bearers (+25.6%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 2,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,277 | 2,108 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,164 | 2,562 | 0.87 | +454 bearers (+21.5%) | Up 1,113 places |
| 2020 | #9,648 | 3,218 | 1.08 | +656 bearers (+25.6%) | Up 2,516 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 Husain 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 | #12,164 | #9,648 | 20.7% |
| Count | 2,562 | 3,218 | 25.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 1.08 | 23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Husain bearers went from 2,562 to 3,218 (+25.6% change). The surname moved up 2,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,164 to #9,648.
FAQ
Husain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Husain?
Name Census estimates that about 3,690 living Americans carry the surname Husain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,887 residents.
How common is Husain?
Husain ranks #9,648 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,218 people with the surname Husain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,690), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Husain.
Has Husain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Husain went from 2,562 recorded bearers to 3,218. That is an increase of 656 (+25.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,164 to #9,648.
What does the Census say about the background of Husain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Husain, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 76.1%. The next largest groups are White (12.2%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Husain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.1% (2,449 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Husain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (76.1%), White (12.2%), Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Husain (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 Husain mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "good" or "handsome," derived from the Arabic name "Ḥusayn." 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 Husain (1.08 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 Husain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.