2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kayyali
An occupational surname referring to someone who carried luggage or bags.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 196 Americans carry the last name Kayyali. That puts it at #109,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,748,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kayyali 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
196
1 in 1,748,747
Census rank
#109,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
171
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 171 bearers of the surname Kayyali in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 109993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kayyali, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kayyali
The surname KAYYALI has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region known as the Levant, which includes modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. The name is derived from the Arabic word "kayyāl," which means "measurer" or "weigher," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name were likely involved in professions related to measurement or weight.
KAYYALI is considered an occupational surname, which means it was originally given to individuals based on their trade or occupation. In the past, surnames often reflected a person's profession or the role they played within their community. The name KAYYALI could have been given to those who worked as merchants, traders, or in occupations that required measuring and weighing goods.
While there are no specific historical references to the name KAYYALI in ancient manuscripts or records, the name's linguistic origin and meaning can be traced back to the Arabic language, which has been spoken in the Middle East for centuries. Some variations of the spelling may have existed in different regions or time periods, such as KAYAL or KAYYAL.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KAYYALI was Musa al-Kayyali (1900-1978), a prominent Syrian poet, literary critic, and diplomat. He was born in Damascus and played a significant role in promoting Arabic literature and poetry throughout the 20th century.
Another notable figure was Nizar al-Kayyali (1900-1971), a Syrian politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Syria from 1951 to 1952. He was born in Damascus and played a pivotal role in Syrian politics during the mid-20th century.
In Lebanon, the name KAYYALI is associated with the Kayyali family, a prominent Sunni Muslim family from Tripoli. One member of this family was Rashid al-Kayyali (1875-1954), a Lebanese politician and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Lebanon in the early 20th century.
The name KAYYALI can also be found among Palestinians, with Muhammad Kayyali (1894-1973) being a notable figure. He was a Palestinian educator, writer, and political activist who played a significant role in the Palestinian national movement during the 20th century.
Lastly, Abdallah Kayyali (1907-1990) was a Syrian-born Egyptian writer, journalist, and intellectual known for his contributions to Arabic literature and his advocacy for Arab nationalism in the mid-20th century.
While the specific origins of the name KAYYALI may be lost to history, its linguistic roots and the occupations of its earliest bearers provide valuable insights into the cultural and historical significance of this surname in the Middle East.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kayyali
Among Census respondents with the surname Kayyali, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Kayyali 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 Kayyali surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 7
- Two or more races4.1% · 7
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kayyali
Kayyali 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
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+36 bearers (+35.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 23,696 places
2020
#109,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
+33 bearers (+23.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 14,555 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +36 bearers (+35.3%) | Up 23,696 places |
| 2020 | #109,993 | 171 | 0.06 | +33 bearers (+23.9%) | Up 14,555 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 Kayyali 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 | #124,548 | #109,993 | 11.7% |
| Count | 138 | 171 | 23.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 14.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kayyali bearers went from 138 to 171 (+23.9% change). The surname moved up 14,555 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #109,993.
FAQ
Kayyali surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kayyali?
Name Census estimates that about 196 living Americans carry the surname Kayyali. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,748,747 residents.
How common is Kayyali?
Kayyali ranks #109,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 171 people with the surname Kayyali. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Kayyali.
Has Kayyali become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kayyali went from 138 recorded bearers to 171. That is an increase of 33 (+23.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #124,548 to #109,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Kayyali?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kayyali, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Kayyali in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kayyali appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Kayyali (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 Kayyali mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who carried luggage or bags. 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 Kayyali (0.06 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 Kayyali?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.