2000
#16,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,622
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Kamal
An Arabic surname meaning "perfection," "completeness," or referring to a type of orange marigold flower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,445 Americans carry the last name Kamal. That puts it at #8,187 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,110 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamal 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 Kamal with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,110
Census rank
#8,187
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,876 bearers of the surname Kamal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8187th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (27.6%) and Black (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamal
The surname Kamal has its roots in the Arabic language, originating from the Middle East and North Africa regions. It traces its origins back to the 7th century AD during the Islamic Golden Age.
Kamal is derived from the Arabic word 'kamal,' which means 'perfection' or 'excellence.' It was initially used as a descriptive name to denote individuals who exhibited exceptional qualities or achievements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kamal can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and philosopher, Al-Farabi (870-950 AD). He mentioned a mathematician named Abu Kamil Shuja ibn Aslam, who lived in the late 9th century and was known for his contributions to the field of algebra.
During the medieval period, the name Kamal gained prominence in various regions of the Islamic world. In the 12th century, a notable figure named Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes (1126-1198 AD), a renowned Andalusian philosopher and scholar, bore the name Kamal.
Moving forward, the name Kamal was also associated with notable figures in the Ottoman Empire. One such individual was Kemal Pasha (1833-1913), an Ottoman statesman and military leader who played a significant role in the modernization of the Ottoman Empire's military forces.
In more recent times, the surname Kamal has been carried by several influential personalities. One noteworthy figure was Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, who was instrumental in establishing a secular and modern Turkish state.
Another prominent individual with the surname Kamal was Mustafa Kamal (1920-2012), a renowned Bangladeshi writer, novelist, and playwright, who made significant contributions to the literary and cultural landscape of his country.
It is worth noting that the name Kamal has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations across the Middle East and North Africa. For instance, there is a town called Kamal in Iran, and a city named Kamal in Tunisia, both of which may have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Kamal.
Overall, the surname Kamal has a rich history and cultural significance, deeply rooted in the Arabic language and the Islamic tradition. It has been carried by scholars, philosophers, statesmen, and literary figures over the centuries, signifying its enduring presence and influence across various regions and civilizations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamal
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (27.6%) and Black (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamal 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 Kamal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander60.8% · 2,356
- White27.6% · 1,068
- Black or African American5.4% · 211
- Two or more races4.5% · 176
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamal
Kamal 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
#11,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,623
+1,001 bearers (+61.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 4,417 places
2020
#8,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,876
+1,253 bearers (+47.8%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 3,745 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,349 | 1,622 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,932 | 2,623 | 0.89 | +1,001 bearers (+61.7%) | Up 4,417 places |
| 2020 | #8,187 | 3,876 | 1.30 | +1,253 bearers (+47.8%) | Up 3,745 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 Kamal 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 | #11,932 | #8,187 | 31.4% |
| Count | 2,623 | 3,876 | 47.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 1.30 | 45.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamal bearers went from 2,623 to 3,876 (+47.8% change). The surname moved up 3,745 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,932 to #8,187.
FAQ
Kamal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamal?
Name Census estimates that about 4,445 living Americans carry the surname Kamal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,110 residents.
How common is Kamal?
Kamal ranks #8,187 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,876 people with the surname Kamal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,445), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Kamal.
Has Kamal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamal went from 2,623 recorded bearers to 3,876. That is an increase of 1,253 (+47.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,932 to #8,187.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamal, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.8%. The next largest groups are White (27.6%) and Black (5.4%). 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 Kamal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.8% (2,356 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (60.8%), White (27.6%), Black (5.4%). 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 Kamal (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 Kamal mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "perfection," "completeness," or referring to a type of orange marigold flower. 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 Kamal (1.30 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 share the surname Kamal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.