2000
#93,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Karimian
A Persian surname derived from the Arabic word "Karim" meaning noble or generous.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 362 Americans carry the last name Karimian. That puts it at #67,362 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 946,835 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Karimian 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
362
1 in 946,835
Census rank
#67,362
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
316
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 316 bearers of the surname Karimian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 67362nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Karimian, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Karimian
The surname Karimian is of Persian origin, tracing its roots back to ancient Persia, now known as Iran. This name likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 10th to 13th centuries AD, when the Persian language and culture flourished under various Islamic dynasties.
The name Karimian is derived from the Arabic word "Karim," which means "generous" or "noble." It is believed that the suffix "-ian" was added to indicate a patronymic form, suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who was the son or descendant of a person named Karim.
Records from the Seljuk Empire, which ruled over parts of Persia and the Middle East from the 11th to 12th centuries, contain references to individuals bearing the name Karimian. These early mentions suggest that the name was already in use among Persian-speaking populations during this era.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Karimian was Khwaja Ahmad Karimian, a renowned Persian poet and mystic who lived in the 13th century. His poetic works, which often explored themes of Sufism and spirituality, have been preserved and studied by scholars throughout the centuries.
Another notable figure bearing the Karimian name was Mir Sayyid Ali Karimian, a prominent Persian calligrapher and artist who lived during the 16th century. His intricate calligraphic works adorned numerous manuscripts and buildings, and he is celebrated as one of the masters of the Nasta'liq script.
In the 18th century, Mirza Mohammad Karimian was a prominent Persian statesman and diplomat who served as the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. His diplomatic efforts played a crucial role in fostering political and cultural ties between the two empires.
During the 19th century, Haji Karimian was a renowned Iranian merchant and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of educational institutions and public works in his hometown of Shiraz.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Sadegh Karimian was a respected Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who played a pivotal role in advocating for legal reforms and civil liberties in his country.
While the surname Karimian has its roots in ancient Persia, it has since spread to various regions and communities around the world, carried by individuals of Persian descent or those who have adopted the name through marriage or other circumstances.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Karimian
Among Census respondents with the surname Karimian, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Karimian 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 Karimian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 261
- Two or more races11.4% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 7
- Black or African American1.3% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Karimian
Karimian 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
#73,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
+83 bearers (+45.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 20,212 places
2020
#67,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 316
+51 bearers (+19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Up 5,853 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #93,427 | 182 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #73,215 | 265 | 0.09 | +83 bearers (+45.6%) | Up 20,212 places |
| 2020 | #67,362 | 316 | 0.11 | +51 bearers (+19.2%) | Up 5,853 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 Karimian 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 | #73,215 | #67,362 | 8.0% |
| Count | 265 | 316 | 19.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.11 | 17.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Karimian bearers went from 265 to 316 (+19.2% change). The surname moved up 5,853 positions in the national ranking, going from #73,215 to #67,362.
FAQ
Karimian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Karimian?
Name Census estimates that about 362 living Americans carry the surname Karimian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 946,835 residents.
How common is Karimian?
Karimian ranks #67,362 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 316 people with the surname Karimian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Karimian.
Has Karimian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Karimian went from 265 recorded bearers to 316. That is an increase of 51 (+19.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #73,215 to #67,362.
What does the Census say about the background of Karimian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Karimian, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Karimian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Karimian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Two or More Races (11.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Karimian (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 Karimian mean?
A Persian surname derived from the Arabic word "Karim" meaning noble or generous. 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 Karimian (0.11 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 Karimian?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.