2000
#6,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,578
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.70
Uncommon Last name
Khalil
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "friend" or "close companion."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,885 Americans carry the last name Khalil. That puts it at #3,649 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,489 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khalil 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 Khalil with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,489
Census rank
#3,649
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.5K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,492 bearers of the surname Khalil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3649th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khalil, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khalil
The surname Khalil has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "khalil" which means "friend" or "beloved". The name first emerged in the Middle East, particularly in the regions that make up modern-day Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
Khalil is believed to have been used as a surname as early as the 7th century AD, during the rise of Islam and the spread of the Arabic language. It is possible that the name was initially adopted by those who had a close friendship or relationship with the Prophet Muhammad or his companions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Khalil can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab historian and scholar, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 AD). In his work, the Muqaddimah, he mentions a person named Abu Bakr Khalil al-Qurtubi, who was a prominent scholar and judge from Cordoba, Spain.
The name Khalil also appears in various manuscripts and historical records from the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 AD), which ruled over vast territories spanning from modern-day Iran to North Africa. One notable figure was the poet and philosopher, Abu al-Ala al-Maari (973-1057 AD), whose full name was Abu al-Ala Ahmad ibn Abdallah al-Tanukhi al-Maari al-Khalil.
In the 12th century, a prominent Islamic scholar and philosopher, Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes (1126-1198 AD), was born in Cordoba, Spain. His full name was Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Rushd al-Khalil.
Another significant figure bearing the surname Khalil was the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Al-Ashraf Khalil (1263-1293 AD). He ruled during a period of political turmoil and is known for his military campaigns against the Crusaders and the Mongols.
During the Ottoman Empire's reign (1299-1923 AD), the surname Khalil was relatively common among the Arabic-speaking populations within its territories. One notable individual was the Ottoman scholar and historian, Mustafa Naima Khalil (1655-1716 AD), who wrote a comprehensive history of the Ottoman Empire.
While the surname Khalil has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. Today, it can be found among Arab communities in Europe, North America, and other regions, carrying with it a rich historical legacy and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khalil
Among Census respondents with the surname Khalil, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Khalil 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 Khalil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.3% · 7,435
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.6% · 915
- Black or African American4.4% · 413
- Two or more races4.1% · 388
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 326
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khalil
Khalil 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
#5,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,983
+2,405 bearers (+52.5%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Up 1,763 places
2020
#3,649
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,492
+2,509 bearers (+35.9%)
Per 100,000 3.18
Rank movement Up 1,375 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,787 | 4,578 | 1.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,024 | 6,983 | 2.37 | +2,405 bearers (+52.5%) | Up 1,763 places |
| 2020 | #3,649 | 9,492 | 3.18 | +2,509 bearers (+35.9%) | Up 1,375 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 Khalil 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 | #5,024 | #3,649 | 27.4% |
| Count | 6,983 | 9,492 | 35.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.37 | 3.18 | 34.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khalil bearers went from 6,983 to 9,492 (+35.9% change). The surname moved up 1,375 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,024 to #3,649.
FAQ
Khalil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khalil?
Name Census estimates that about 10,885 living Americans carry the surname Khalil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,489 residents.
How common is Khalil?
Khalil ranks #3,649 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,492 people with the surname Khalil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,885), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Khalil.
Has Khalil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khalil went from 6,983 recorded bearers to 9,492. That is an increase of 2,509 (+35.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,024 to #3,649.
What does the Census say about the background of Khalil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khalil, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%) and Black (4.4%). 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 Khalil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (7,435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khalil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (9.6%), Black (4.4%). 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 Khalil (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 Khalil mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "friend" or "close companion." 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 Khalil (3.18 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 Khalil?
See how many people are called Khalil on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.