2000
#19,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Karimi
A surname of Iranian origin meaning someone from the city of Karim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,488 Americans carry the last name Karimi. That puts it at #10,097 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,267 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karimi 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 Karimi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,267
Census rank
#10,097
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,042 bearers of the surname Karimi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10097th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karimi, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%) and Two or More Races (13.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karimi
The surname Karimi is believed to have originated in Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "Karim," which means "generous" or "noble." The name has its roots in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the Islamic Golden Age.
The Karimi surname is particularly prevalent in the regions of Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia. It is often associated with individuals of Persian or Iranian descent. However, due to migration and cultural exchange, the name can also be found in various other parts of the world.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Karimi surname can be found in the works of renowned Persian poets and scholars from the 10th and 11th centuries CE. Notable figures include Abu al-Qasim al-Karimi (d. 1017 CE), a prominent poet and literary critic, and Abu Mansur al-Karimi (d. 1079 CE), a respected philosopher and theologian.
During the medieval period, the Karimi surname was associated with several influential families and individuals. One notable example is the Karimi dynasty, which ruled over parts of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan from the 13th to the 15th centuries CE. This dynasty produced several notable rulers, including Malik Shams al-Din Karimi (r. 1245-1277 CE) and Malik Ghiyath al-Din Karimi (r. 1277-1305 CE).
In more recent history, the Karimi surname has been carried by various scholars, artists, and public figures. Some notable individuals include:
1. Nasser D. Khalili (b. 1945), an Iranian-British scholar and art collector known for his extensive collection of Islamic art.
2. Amir Karimi (b. 1973), an Iranian film director and screenwriter, known for his critically acclaimed works such as "A Cube of Sugar" and "The Night Guard."
3. Abolfazl Karimi (b. 1976), an Iranian-American mathematician and computer scientist, known for his contributions to the field of computational geometry.
4. Shida Karimi (b. 1976), an Afghan-Canadian artist and activist, recognized for her efforts in promoting women's rights and empowerment through art.
5. Hamid Karimi (b. 1977), an Iranian-American engineer and professor, renowned for his research in the field of control systems and robotics.
Throughout its history, the Karimi surname has maintained its association with Persian and Iranian culture, reflecting the rich heritage and traditions of the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karimi
Among Census respondents with the surname Karimi, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%) and Two or More Races (13.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Karimi 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 Karimi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White46.1% · 1,402
- Asian and Pacific Islander35.5% · 1,081
- Two or more races13.1% · 399
- Black or African American2.9% · 89
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karimi
Karimi 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
#15,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,858
+558 bearers (+42.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 3,585 places
2020
#10,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,042
+1,184 bearers (+63.7%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Up 5,603 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,285 | 1,300 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,700 | 1,858 | 0.63 | +558 bearers (+42.9%) | Up 3,585 places |
| 2020 | #10,097 | 3,042 | 1.02 | +1,184 bearers (+63.7%) | Up 5,603 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 Karimi 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 | #15,700 | #10,097 | 35.7% |
| Count | 1,858 | 3,042 | 63.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 1.02 | 61.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karimi bearers went from 1,858 to 3,042 (+63.7% change). The surname moved up 5,603 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,700 to #10,097.
FAQ
Karimi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karimi?
Name Census estimates that about 3,488 living Americans carry the surname Karimi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,267 residents.
How common is Karimi?
Karimi ranks #10,097 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,042 people with the surname Karimi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,488), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Karimi.
Has Karimi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karimi went from 1,858 recorded bearers to 3,042. That is an increase of 1,184 (+63.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,700 to #10,097.
What does the Census say about the background of Karimi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karimi, the largest self-reported group is White at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%) and Two or More Races (13.1%). 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 Karimi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.1% (1,402 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karimi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (46.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (35.5%), Two or More Races (13.1%). 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 Karimi (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 Karimi mean?
A surname of Iranian origin meaning someone from the city of Karim. 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 Karimi (1.02 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 have the last name Karimi?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Karimi, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.