2000
#55,971
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 342
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Kadir
A Turkish surname derived from the Arabic word 'qadir' meaning 'mighty' or 'powerful'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 901 Americans carry the last name Kadir. That puts it at #31,542 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 380,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kadir 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 Kadir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
901
1 in 380,415
Census rank
#31,542
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
786
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 786 bearers of the surname Kadir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31542nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kadir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.8%) and White (12.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kadir
The surname KADIR has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "qadir," which means "powerful" or "able." The name is believed to have been initially used as a descriptive term or as a form of praise for someone with authority or strength.
In the early Islamic era, surnames were not commonly used, and people were often identified by their personal names, patronymics (father's name), or descriptive nicknames. The adoption of hereditary surnames became more prevalent during the medieval period, particularly among urban populations and elite classes.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KADIR can be found in historical documents from the 12th century, where it appeared as a family name among Arab and Berber communities in regions such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Over time, the name spread to other parts of the Islamic world, including the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
In the 13th century, the name KADIR was mentioned in various manuscripts and records related to Islamic scholars, poets, and administrative officials. One notable figure bearing this surname was Abu al-Qasim al-Kadir (1215-1292), a renowned Sufi mystic and spiritual leader from Baghdad, Iraq.
During the medieval and early modern periods, the surname KADIR was also present in parts of the Ottoman Empire, particularly in regions like Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and the Balkans. This was due to the expansion of Ottoman rule and the migration of populations across the empire.
Other notable historical figures with the surname KADIR include:
1. Al-Kadir Billah (944-1031), an Abbasid caliph who ruled from Baghdad between 991 and 1031.
2. Muhammad al-Kadir (1346-1405), a Sufi saint and scholar from Gujarat, India, who founded the Kadiri order of Sufism.
3. Sidi Ahmed al-Kadir (1508-1573), a Moroccan scholar and Sufi leader who played a significant role in the spread of Islam in West Africa.
4. Ali Kadir (1807-1878), an Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier (prime minister) of the Ottoman Empire in the mid-19th century.
5. Molla Kadir (1896-1960), an Albanian writer, linguist, and educator who contributed to the development of the modern Albanian language and literature.
The surname KADIR has also been associated with various place names and geographic locations, particularly in areas with a significant Arab or Islamic influence. Examples include Kadir Havuz in Istanbul, Turkey, and Kadir Bey in Egypt, both named after historical figures with the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kadir
Among Census respondents with the surname Kadir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.8%) and White (12.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Kadir 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 Kadir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander41.0% · 322
- Black or African American39.8% · 313
- White12.6% · 99
- Two or more races5.0% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kadir
Kadir 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
#39,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 563
+221 bearers (+64.6%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 16,854 places
2020
#31,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 786
+223 bearers (+39.6%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 7,575 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,971 | 342 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,117 | 563 | 0.19 | +221 bearers (+64.6%) | Up 16,854 places |
| 2020 | #31,542 | 786 | 0.26 | +223 bearers (+39.6%) | Up 7,575 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 Kadir 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 | #39,117 | #31,542 | 19.4% |
| Count | 563 | 786 | 39.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.26 | 38.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kadir bearers went from 563 to 786 (+39.6% change). The surname moved up 7,575 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,117 to #31,542.
FAQ
Kadir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kadir?
Name Census estimates that about 901 living Americans carry the surname Kadir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 380,415 residents.
How common is Kadir?
Kadir ranks #31,542 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 786 people with the surname Kadir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (901), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Kadir.
Has Kadir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kadir went from 563 recorded bearers to 786. That is an increase of 223 (+39.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #39,117 to #31,542.
What does the Census say about the background of Kadir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kadir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.8%) and White (12.6%). 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 Kadir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.0% (322 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kadir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (41.0%), Black (39.8%), White (12.6%). 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 Kadir (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 Kadir mean?
A Turkish surname derived from the Arabic word 'qadir' meaning 'mighty' or 'powerful'. 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 Kadir (0.26 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 Kadir?
See how many people are called Kadir on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.