2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kanawati
An Arabic surname referring to someone from the town of Qanawat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Kanawati. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kanawati 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Kanawati in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanawati, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kanawati
The surname KANAWATI has its origins tracing back to the Middle East, specifically Lebanon. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "Kanawat," which translates to "small village" or "hamlet." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals residing in rural settlements or small towns within the region.
During the medieval period, the KANAWATI name appeared in various historical records and manuscripts documenting the inhabitants of the Levantine region. One notable mention can be found in the chronicles of a 13th-century Arab scholar, who referred to a family bearing this surname residing in the outskirts of Beirut.
The earliest recorded instance of the KANAWATI name dates back to the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a Ottoman tax register documenting landowners and residents in the area surrounding the city of Tripoli, Lebanon. This record provides valuable insight into the geographic distribution of the name during that era.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Yusuf KANAWATI gained recognition as a skilled craftsman and merchant in the city of Sidon. His legacy and business ventures contributed to the spread of the KANAWATI name within the local community.
Another notable individual was Khalil KANAWATI, a 19th-century scholar and poet from Zahle, Lebanon. His literary works and contributions to the Arabic literary scene have left a lasting impact on the cultural heritage of the region.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the KANAWATI name became more widespread as members of the family migrated to various parts of the world, including North and South America, Europe, and Australia, seeking new opportunities.
One such individual was Ibrahim KANAWATI, who emigrated from Lebanon to Brazil in the 1890s. He went on to establish a successful business venture in the city of São Paulo, playing a pivotal role in the Lebanese diaspora community there.
Another notable figure was Layla KANAWATI, born in 1921 in Lebanon. She was a celebrated author and playwright, renowned for her works that explored themes of identity, displacement, and the experiences of the Lebanese diaspora.
Throughout its history, the KANAWATI surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, craftsmen, scholars, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kanawati
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanawati, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kanawati 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 Kanawati surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 2
- Two or more races2.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kanawati
Kanawati appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-12 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,997 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 5,997 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 Kanawati 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 | #150,452 | #156,449 | -4.0% |
| Count | 109 | 97 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kanawati bearers went from 109 to 97 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 5,997 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #156,449.
FAQ
Kanawati surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kanawati?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Kanawati. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Kanawati?
Kanawati ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Kanawati. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Kanawati.
Has Kanawati become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kanawati went from 109 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 12 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Kanawati?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kanawati, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kanawati in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kanawati appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Kanawati (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 Kanawati mean?
An Arabic surname referring to someone from the town of Qanawat. 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 Kanawati (0.03 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 Kanawati?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.