2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Jihad
An Arabic surname potentially derived from the Arabic word meaning "struggle" or "effort."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 256 Americans carry the last name Jihad. That puts it at #89,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,338,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Jihad 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.
Bearers in the US
256
1 in 1,338,884
Census rank
#89,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
223
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 223 bearers of the surname Jihad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Jihad, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Jihad
The surname "JIHAD" is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabian Peninsula, during the early days of Islam. It is derived from the Arabic word "jihad," which means "struggle" or "effort" in the spiritual and religious context of Islam.
The term "jihad" has its roots in the Quranic teachings and the life of the Prophet Muhammad. It refers to the inner struggle against one's vices and the outer struggle for the defense and propagation of the Islamic faith. The surname "JIHAD" likely emerged as a way to honor individuals who were regarded as exemplars of this spiritual and physical struggle.
Historically, the name "JIHAD" appears in various Islamic manuscripts and chronicles, particularly those documenting the early conquests and spread of Islam. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Abu Bakr al-Jihad, a prominent scholar and warrior who lived during the 7th century in the Arabian Peninsula.
Another notable figure was Khalid ibn al-Walid, known as "Sayf Allah al-Maslul" (The Drawn Sword of God), who lived from around 592 to 642 CE. He was a revered military commander during the early Muslim conquests and played a crucial role in the expansion of the Islamic empire.
During the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from 750 to 1258 CE, the name "JIHAD" gained further prominence. One of the most influential personalities with this surname was Abu Nasr al-Jihad, a renowned theologian and philosopher who lived in the 9th century and made significant contributions to Islamic thought.
In the 12th century, the renowned Muslim polymath and philosopher, Averroes (Ibn Rushd al-Jihad), was born in Cordoba, Spain. His works had a profound impact on the development of Western philosophy and science during the Renaissance period.
Another notable figure was Imam al-Jihad, a respected Islamic scholar and jurist who lived in the 14th century and played a pivotal role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) in the Hanafi school of thought.
It is important to note that while the surname "JIHAD" has a rich historical significance in the Islamic tradition, its modern usage and interpretation have been subject to various interpretations and debates within the Muslim community and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jihad
Among Census respondents with the surname Jihad, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Jihad 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 Jihad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American69.5% · 155
- White20.2% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 13
- Two or more races3.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Jihad
Jihad 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
#83,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 225
+91 bearers (+67.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 36,103 places
2020
#89,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 223
-2 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 5,690 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #83,541 | 225 | 0.08 | +91 bearers (+67.9%) | Up 36,103 places |
| 2020 | #89,231 | 223 | 0.07 | -2 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 5,690 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 Jihad 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 | #83,541 | #89,231 | -6.8% |
| Count | 225 | 223 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Jihad bearers went from 225 to 223 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 5,690 positions in the national ranking, going from #83,541 to #89,231.
FAQ
Jihad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Jihad?
Name Census estimates that about 256 living Americans carry the surname Jihad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,338,884 residents.
How common is Jihad?
Jihad ranks #89,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 223 people with the surname Jihad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (256), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Jihad.
Has Jihad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Jihad went from 225 recorded bearers to 223. That is a decrease of 2 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #83,541 to #89,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Jihad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Jihad, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.5%. The next largest groups are White (20.2%) and Hispanic (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Jihad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.5% (155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Jihad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (69.5%), White (20.2%), Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Jihad (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 Jihad mean?
An Arabic surname potentially derived from the Arabic word meaning "struggle" or "effort." 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 Jihad (0.07 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 Jihad?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.