2000
#44,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 450
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Rare Last name
Kareem
A common Arabic surname meaning "generous" or "noble".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,712 Americans carry the last name Kareem. That puts it at #18,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 200,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kareem 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 Kareem with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.7K
1 in 200,207
Census rank
#18,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,493 bearers of the surname Kareem in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kareem, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kareem
The surname Kareem has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "Kareem" which means noble, generous, or honorable. The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in regions like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other parts of the Arab world.
In the early days of Islamic civilization, the name Kareem was often used as a title or honorific for individuals who were held in high regard for their character, deeds, or social standing. Over time, it became a common surname among Arab families, particularly those with roots in the Arabian Peninsula.
The earliest known historical references to the surname Kareem can be found in various Arabic manuscripts and records dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries CE. These documents often mentioned individuals with the name Kareem in various contexts, such as trade, scholarship, or military affairs.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Kareem is that of Ibn Kareem al-Qurashi, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century CE. He was known for his contributions to Arabic literature and his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence.
Another notable figure with the surname Kareem is Jalal al-Din Kareem, a 13th-century Sufi mystic and philosopher from Persia (modern-day Iran). His teachings and writings had a profound impact on the development of Sufism and Islamic mysticism.
In the 14th century, Ibn Battuta, the famous Moroccan explorer and traveler, mentioned encountering individuals with the surname Kareem during his travels across the Middle East and North Africa. This suggests that the name had spread across various regions by that time.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule in the Middle East and parts of Europe, the surname Kareem was also found among Ottoman families and officials. One notable figure was Kareem Pasha, a 17th-century Ottoman statesman and military leader who served as the Grand Vizier (prime minister) under Sultan Murad IV.
In more recent history, there have been several prominent individuals with the surname Kareem. One of the most famous is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the legendary American basketball player who was born in 1947. He is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA and was known for his dominant play and distinctive skyhook shot.
Other notable individuals with the surname Kareem include Amin Kareem, an Iraqi politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Iraq from 1965 to 1967, and Ahmed Kareem, an Egyptian writer and journalist who was active in the early 20th century and known for his literary works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kareem
Among Census respondents with the surname Kareem, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kareem 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 Kareem surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White44.6% · 666
- Black or African American36.3% · 542
- Asian and Pacific Islander11.7% · 175
- Two or more races5.3% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kareem
Kareem 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
#27,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 866
+416 bearers (+92.4%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 17,139 places
2020
#18,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,493
+627 bearers (+72.4%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 9,408 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,895 | 450 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,756 | 866 | 0.29 | +416 bearers (+92.4%) | Up 17,139 places |
| 2020 | #18,348 | 1,493 | 0.50 | +627 bearers (+72.4%) | Up 9,408 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 Kareem 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 | #27,756 | #18,348 | 33.9% |
| Count | 866 | 1,493 | 72.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.50 | 72.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kareem bearers went from 866 to 1,493 (+72.4% change). The surname moved up 9,408 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,756 to #18,348.
FAQ
Kareem surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kareem?
Name Census estimates that about 1,712 living Americans carry the surname Kareem. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 200,207 residents.
How common is Kareem?
Kareem ranks #18,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.50 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 1,493 people with the surname Kareem. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,712), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.50 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 Kareem.
Has Kareem become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kareem went from 866 recorded bearers to 1,493. That is an increase of 627 (+72.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #27,756 to #18,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Kareem?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kareem, the largest self-reported group is White at 44.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%). 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 Kareem in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.6% (666 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kareem appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (44.6%), Black (36.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (11.7%). 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 Kareem (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 Kareem mean?
A common Arabic surname meaning "generous" or "noble". 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 Kareem (0.50 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 common is the surname Kareem?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Kareem at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.