2000
#15,375
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,752
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.65
Rare Last name
Khalid
An Arabic surname meaning "eternal," "immortal," or "everlasting," derived from the Arabic word "khalid."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,377 Americans carry the last name Khalid. That puts it at #6,902 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,745 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khalid 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 Khalid with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,745
Census rank
#6,902
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,689 bearers of the surname Khalid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6902nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khalid, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.6%) and Black (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khalid
The surname KHALID originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle East region, particularly in the Arabian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Khalid," which means "eternal" or "everlasting."
KHALID is believed to have first appeared as a surname in the 7th century CE, during the rise of Islam and the expansion of the Arab caliphates. It was adopted by individuals and families as a means of identification and lineage tracing.
One of the earliest known historical references to the surname KHALID can be found in the Sirat Rasul Allah, a biography of the Prophet Muhammad written in the 8th century CE. This work mentions several companions of the Prophet who bore the name KHALID, including Khalid ibn al-Walid, a renowned military commander during the early Islamic conquests.
In the 9th century CE, the name KHALID appeared in various Islamic manuscripts and records, such as the Kitab al-Aghani, a famous anthology of Arabic poetry and songs. This indicates the widespread use of the name among Arab populations during that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname KHALID. One of the most famous was Khalid ibn al-Walid (592-642 CE), a distinguished military leader and companion of the Prophet Muhammad, who led the Muslim armies to victory in numerous battles.
Another prominent figure was Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi (718-791 CE), an Arab philologist and lexicographer who is credited with compiling the first Arabic dictionary and contributing significantly to the study of Arabic grammar and language.
In the medieval period, the surname KHALID was associated with various scholars and poets, such as Khalid al-Kindi (801-873 CE), a renowned Arab philosopher and mathematician, and Khalid al-Katib (1211-1288 CE), a renowned Arab poet and calligrapher.
During the Ottoman Empire, the name KHALID was often linked to notable military figures and statesmen, such as Khalid Pasha (1779-1857), an Ottoman general and statesman who played a significant role in the modernization of the Ottoman military.
In more recent times, Khalid ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud (1913-1982) was a prominent member of the Saudi royal family and served as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia from 1965 to 1975.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have carried the surname KHALID, reflecting its enduring presence and significance across various cultures and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khalid
Among Census respondents with the surname Khalid, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.6%) and Black (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Khalid 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 Khalid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander72.1% · 3,383
- White13.6% · 639
- Black or African American8.7% · 407
- Two or more races4.3% · 201
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khalid
Khalid 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
#10,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,046
+1,294 bearers (+73.9%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 4,844 places
2020
#6,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,689
+1,643 bearers (+53.9%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Up 3,629 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,375 | 1,752 | 0.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,531 | 3,046 | 1.03 | +1,294 bearers (+73.9%) | Up 4,844 places |
| 2020 | #6,902 | 4,689 | 1.57 | +1,643 bearers (+53.9%) | Up 3,629 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 Khalid 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 | #10,531 | #6,902 | 34.5% |
| Count | 3,046 | 4,689 | 53.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 1.57 | 52.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khalid bearers went from 3,046 to 4,689 (+53.9% change). The surname moved up 3,629 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,531 to #6,902.
FAQ
Khalid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khalid?
Name Census estimates that about 5,377 living Americans carry the surname Khalid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,745 residents.
How common is Khalid?
Khalid ranks #6,902 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,689 people with the surname Khalid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,377), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Khalid.
Has Khalid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khalid went from 3,046 recorded bearers to 4,689. That is an increase of 1,643 (+53.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,531 to #6,902.
What does the Census say about the background of Khalid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khalid, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.1%. The next largest groups are White (13.6%) and Black (8.7%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Khalid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.1% (3,383 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khalid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (72.1%), White (13.6%), Black (8.7%). 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 Khalid (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 Khalid mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "eternal," "immortal," or "everlasting," derived from the Arabic word "khalid." 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 Khalid (1.57 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 Khalid?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Khalid is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.