2000
#3,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,590
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.18
Uncommon Last name
Ibrahim
An Arabic patronymic surname meaning "son of Ibrahim," referring to the biblical figure Abraham, meaning "father of many."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,490 Americans carry the last name Ibrahim. That puts it at #1,338 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,623 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ibrahim 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 Ibrahim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,623
Census rank
#1,338
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
26K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,717 bearers of the surname Ibrahim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1338th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ibrahim, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (35.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ibrahim
The surname IBRAHIM has its roots in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East. The name is derived from the Arabic word 'Ibrahim,' which is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew name 'Abraham.' It means 'father of many' or 'father of multitudes.'
The earliest recorded instances of the name IBRAHIM can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the time of the Islamic Golden Age. It is believed that the name gained popularity after the birth of the Prophet Muhammad and the spread of Islam across the Middle East and North Africa.
Historical records indicate that the name IBRAHIM was commonly used among Arab tribes and communities in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in regions such as Mecca and Medina. As Islam expanded, the name spread to other parts of the world, including Persia, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname IBRAHIM was Ibrahim ibn Adham, a renowned Muslim saint and ascetic who lived in the 8th century AD. He was born in Balkh, a city in modern-day Afghanistan, and is venerated in both Sunni and Shia traditions.
Another notable figure with the surname IBRAHIM was Ibrahim al-Fazari, a 9th-century Muslim mathematician and astronomer from Baghdad. He made significant contributions to the development of algebra and astronomical calculations.
During the Middle Ages, the name IBRAHIM was also found in various Islamic empires, such as the Abbasid Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire. One example is Ibrahim Pasha, a 16th-century Ottoman grand vizier who played a crucial role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire.
In the 19th century, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, the son of Muhammad Ali Pasha, was a prominent military leader and ruler who conquered parts of the Levant and Sudan.
Another important figure with the surname IBRAHIM was Ibrahim Müteferrika, a Hungarian-born Ottoman diplomat and the first Muslim to establish a printing press in the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century.
As the name IBRAHIM spread across different regions and cultures, various spellings and variations emerged, such as Ibraheem, Ebrahim, and Abrahim. These variations reflect the linguistic and cultural influences of the regions where the name was adopted.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ibrahim
Among Census respondents with the surname Ibrahim, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (35.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ibrahim 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 Ibrahim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.8% · 13,054
- Black or African American35.9% · 9,244
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.7% · 1,970
- Two or more races3.3% · 855
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 563
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ibrahim
Ibrahim 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
#2,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,915
+7,325 bearers (+85.3%)
Per 100,000 5.40
Rank movement Up 1,495 places
2020
#1,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,717
+9,802 bearers (+61.6%)
Per 100,000 8.60
Rank movement Up 952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,785 | 8,590 | 3.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,290 | 15,915 | 5.40 | +7,325 bearers (+85.3%) | Up 1,495 places |
| 2020 | #1,338 | 25,717 | 8.60 | +9,802 bearers (+61.6%) | Up 952 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 Ibrahim 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 | #2,290 | #1,338 | 41.6% |
| Count | 15,915 | 25,717 | 61.6% |
| Per 100K | 5.40 | 8.60 | 59.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ibrahim bearers went from 15,915 to 25,717 (+61.6% change). The surname moved up 952 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,290 to #1,338.
FAQ
Ibrahim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ibrahim?
Name Census estimates that about 29,490 living Americans carry the surname Ibrahim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,623 residents.
How common is Ibrahim?
Ibrahim ranks #1,338 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,717 people with the surname Ibrahim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,490), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Ibrahim.
Has Ibrahim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ibrahim went from 15,915 recorded bearers to 25,717. That is an increase of 9,802 (+61.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,290 to #1,338.
What does the Census say about the background of Ibrahim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ibrahim, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (35.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%). 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 Ibrahim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.8% (13,054 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ibrahim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.8%), Black (35.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.7%). 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 Ibrahim (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 Ibrahim mean?
An Arabic patronymic surname meaning "son of Ibrahim," referring to the biblical figure Abraham, meaning "father of many." 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 Ibrahim (8.60 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 Americans have the surname Ibrahim?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.