2000
#37,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 563
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Hussaini
A surname derived from the name "Hussein", indicating descent from the Prophet Muhammad's grandson.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,024 Americans carry the last name Hussaini. That puts it at #15,885 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 169,345 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hussaini 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 Hussaini with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 169,345
Census rank
#15,885
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,765 bearers of the surname Hussaini in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15885th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hussaini, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.8%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hussaini
The surname HUSSAINI is of Arabic origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle East and the Islamic world during the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "Husayn," which is a diminutive form of the name "Hasan," meaning "good" or "handsome." The suffix "-i" denotes belonging or relation.
The name HUSSAINI is associated with the descendants of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was revered as a martyr and played a pivotal role in the early history of Islam. Some of the earliest references to the name can be found in Islamic texts and manuscripts from that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name HUSSAINI was Abu Muhammad al-Hussaini, a renowned Islamic scholar and theologian who lived in Baghdad during the 9th century AD. He was known for his extensive knowledge of hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) and Islamic jurisprudence.
In the 11th century, a notable figure named Al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Hussaini al-Isfahani was a renowned philosopher and mathematician from Isfahan, Iran. He made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics.
During the Mughal period in India, the HUSSAINI name gained prominence among the Shia Muslim community. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Mir Hussain Ali Khan Bahadur HUSSAINI, who served as the Nawab (ruler) of the Carnatic region in the 18th century (1714-1748).
Another notable figure was Syed Hussain Bilgrami HUSSAINI, a prominent Indian writer, and scholar who lived in the 19th century (1841-1926). He was known for his contributions to Urdu literature and his works on Islamic philosophy and mysticism.
In more recent times, Syed Hussain Nasr HUSSAINI (born 1933) is a renowned Iranian philosopher and author who has made significant contributions to the fields of Islamic studies, comparative religion, and environmental philosophy.
The HUSSAINI surname has been carried across various regions and cultures, reflecting the widespread influence of Islamic civilization and the dissemination of knowledge and culture throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hussaini
Among Census respondents with the surname Hussaini, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.8%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hussaini 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 Hussaini surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander79.4% · 1,402
- Two or more races11.8% · 209
- White7.4% · 130
- Black or African American0.9% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hussaini
Hussaini 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
#25,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 966
+403 bearers (+71.6%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 11,711 places
2020
#15,885
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,765
+799 bearers (+82.7%)
Per 100,000 0.59
Rank movement Up 9,670 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,266 | 563 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,555 | 966 | 0.33 | +403 bearers (+71.6%) | Up 11,711 places |
| 2020 | #15,885 | 1,765 | 0.59 | +799 bearers (+82.7%) | Up 9,670 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 Hussaini 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 | #25,555 | #15,885 | 37.8% |
| Count | 966 | 1,765 | 82.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.59 | 78.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hussaini bearers went from 966 to 1,765 (+82.7% change). The surname moved up 9,670 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,555 to #15,885.
FAQ
Hussaini surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hussaini?
Name Census estimates that about 2,024 living Americans carry the surname Hussaini. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 169,345 residents.
How common is Hussaini?
Hussaini ranks #15,885 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.59 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 1,765 people with the surname Hussaini. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,024), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.59 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 Hussaini.
Has Hussaini become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hussaini went from 966 recorded bearers to 1,765. That is an increase of 799 (+82.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #25,555 to #15,885.
What does the Census say about the background of Hussaini?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hussaini, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.8%) and White (7.4%). 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 Hussaini in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (1,402 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hussaini appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (79.4%), Two or More Races (11.8%), White (7.4%). 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 Hussaini (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 Hussaini mean?
A surname derived from the name "Hussein", indicating descent from the Prophet Muhammad's grandson. 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 Hussaini (0.59 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 surname Hussaini?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.