2000
#23,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.38
Rare Last name
Kabir
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "great" or "large," often referring to a person of great wisdom or importance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,616 Americans carry the last name Kabir. That puts it at #9,806 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,788 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kabir 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 Kabir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 94,788
Census rank
#9,806
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,153 bearers of the surname Kabir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9806th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kabir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kabir
The surname Kabir is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the 12th century in parts of modern-day Iran and Central Asia. The name is derived from the Arabic word "kabir," meaning "great" or "elder," and was likely used as a descriptive surname or title for someone who held a position of respect or authority within their community.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kabir can be found in the poetry and teachings of the renowned 15th-century Indian mystic and poet, Kabir Das. Born in Varanasi, India, in 1440, Kabir Das is revered for his profound spiritual verses that transcended religious boundaries and inspired people from all walks of life.
In the 16th century, the name Kabir appeared in historical records from the Ottoman Empire, where it was used by influential scholars and statesmen. One notable figure was Mustafa Kabir Efendi, a renowned poet and calligrapher who lived in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566).
The surname Kabir also has a presence in Central Asian history, particularly in the regions of modern-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In the 18th century, Nader Shah, the powerful ruler of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia (modern-day Iran), appointed a talented military commander named Murad Kabir to oversee operations in the region.
Another prominent figure with the surname Kabir was Mirza Mohammad Kabir (1808-1852), a Persian statesman and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Iran during the Qajar dynasty. He is credited with implementing significant reforms and modernization efforts in the country.
In more recent times, the name Kabir has been carried by influential individuals such as Humayun Kabir (1906-1969), an influential Bengali educator, politician, and diplomat who served as the Minister of Education in India, and Mustafa Kabir Çelebi (1891-1957), a prominent Turkish scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Ottoman Turkish literature and language.
While the surname Kabir is widely distributed across various regions, its origins can be traced back to the Arabic word "kabir," reflecting a rich cultural and historical significance as a title of respect and authority.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kabir
Among Census respondents with the surname Kabir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kabir 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 Kabir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.3% · 2,721
- White4.7% · 148
- Two or more races3.9% · 123
- Black or African American3.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kabir
Kabir 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
#14,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,978
+950 bearers (+92.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 8,217 places
2020
#9,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,153
+1,175 bearers (+59.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 5,144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,167 | 1,028 | 0.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,950 | 1,978 | 0.67 | +950 bearers (+92.4%) | Up 8,217 places |
| 2020 | #9,806 | 3,153 | 1.05 | +1,175 bearers (+59.4%) | Up 5,144 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 Kabir 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 | #14,950 | #9,806 | 34.4% |
| Count | 1,978 | 3,153 | 59.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 1.05 | 57.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kabir bearers went from 1,978 to 3,153 (+59.4% change). The surname moved up 5,144 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,950 to #9,806.
FAQ
Kabir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kabir?
Name Census estimates that about 3,616 living Americans carry the surname Kabir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,788 residents.
How common is Kabir?
Kabir ranks #9,806 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,153 people with the surname Kabir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,616), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Kabir.
Has Kabir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kabir went from 1,978 recorded bearers to 3,153. That is an increase of 1,175 (+59.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,950 to #9,806.
What does the Census say about the background of Kabir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kabir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Kabir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (2,721 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kabir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.3%), White (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Kabir (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 Kabir mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "great" or "large," often referring to a person of great wisdom or importance. 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 Kabir (1.05 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 are called Kabir?
Find out how many people have the last name Kabir on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.