2000
#37,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Khatun
A surname of Persian origin indicating nobility or royalty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,347 Americans carry the last name Khatun. That puts it at #10,489 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khatun 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 Khatun with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,406
Census rank
#10,489
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,919 bearers of the surname Khatun in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10489th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khatun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khatun
The surname KHATUN has its origins in the Persian language and is derived from the title "Khatun," which means "lady" or "wife of a ruler." This title was commonly used in various Turkic and Persian empires throughout history.
The name KHATUN can be traced back to the Mongol Empire, where it was used to refer to the wives of khans or rulers. During this time, the name was associated with power and nobility, as the khatuns held significant influence and authority within the imperial court.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KHATUN can be found in the writings of Persian historians and chroniclers, such as Rashid al-Din Hamadani (1247-1318), who documented the lives of prominent khatuns during the Mongol period.
In the 13th century, Töregene Khatun (1241-1287), the wife of Kublai Khan, was a notable figure who held the title of khatun. She played a crucial role in the administration of the Mongol Empire and was known for her political acumen and influence.
Another famous khatun was Sorghaghtani Beki (1192-1252), the wife of Tolui, one of Genghis Khan's sons. She was a powerful and influential figure in the Mongol Empire and played a significant role in the succession of her sons, including Möngke Khan and Kublai Khan.
The name KHATUN also appears in historical records from the Ottoman Empire, where it was used to refer to the wives of sultans. One notable example is Hürrem Sultan (1506-1558), also known as Roxelana, who was the wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and wielded considerable influence in the imperial court.
In the Timurid Empire, which ruled parts of Central Asia and India, the title of khatun was bestowed upon the wives of the rulers. One prominent figure was Sarai Mulk Khanam (1451-1505), the wife of Husayn Bayqara, who was renowned for her patronage of the arts and literature.
Throughout history, the surname KHATUN has been associated with nobility, power, and influence, reflecting the prestigious status of the khatuns in various empires and dynasties.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khatun
Among Census respondents with the surname Khatun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Khatun 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 Khatun surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.7% · 2,851
- Two or more races1.1% · 31
- White0.6% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 11
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khatun
Khatun 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
#18,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,517
+956 bearers (+170.4%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Up 19,078 places
2020
#10,489
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,919
+1,402 bearers (+92.4%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 7,807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,374 | 561 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,296 | 1,517 | 0.51 | +956 bearers (+170.4%) | Up 19,078 places |
| 2020 | #10,489 | 2,919 | 0.98 | +1,402 bearers (+92.4%) | Up 7,807 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 Khatun 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 | #18,296 | #10,489 | 42.7% |
| Count | 1,517 | 2,919 | 92.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.98 | 91.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khatun bearers went from 1,517 to 2,919 (+92.4% change). The surname moved up 7,807 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,296 to #10,489.
FAQ
Khatun surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khatun?
Name Census estimates that about 3,347 living Americans carry the surname Khatun. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,406 residents.
How common is Khatun?
Khatun ranks #10,489 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 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 2,919 people with the surname Khatun. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 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 Khatun.
Has Khatun become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khatun went from 1,517 recorded bearers to 2,919. That is an increase of 1,402 (+92.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,296 to #10,489.
What does the Census say about the background of Khatun?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khatun, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.1%) and White (0.6%). 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 Khatun in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.7% (2,851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khatun appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.7%), Two or More Races (1.1%), White (0.6%). 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 Khatun (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 Khatun mean?
A surname of Persian origin indicating nobility or royalty. 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 Khatun (0.98 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 are called Khatun?
You can see how many people are called Khatun on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.