2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Khodabakhsh
A surname of Persian origin meaning "bestowed by God".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Khodabakhsh. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khodabakhsh 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Khodabakhsh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khodabakhsh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khodabakhsh
The surname "KHODABAKHSH" has its origins in the Persian language and is believed to have originated in Iran during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Persian words "Khoda" meaning "God" and "bakhsh" meaning "bestower" or "giver." Thus, the name can be interpreted as "bestowed by God" or "given by God."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "KHODABAKHSH" can be traced back to the 15th century, during the reign of the Timurid Empire in Persia. It is believed that the name was initially granted to individuals who had demonstrated exceptional devotion or service to their religious beliefs or communities.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname "KHODABAKHSH" was Amir Khodabakhsh, a renowned military commander who served under the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh in the early 15th century. Amir Khodabakhsh played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Timurid Empire and is mentioned in several historical texts of the era.
During the 16th century, the surname "KHODABAKHSH" gained further prominence in the region, with several notable individuals bearing the name. Among them was Mirza Khodabakhsh, a prominent poet and scholar who served at the court of the Safavid ruler Shah Abbas I. Mirza Khodabakhsh's literary works and contributions to the arts and culture of the time are well documented.
In the 18th century, the "KHODABAKHSH" surname was also associated with religious figures and scholars. One such individual was Mulla Khodabakhsh, a revered Islamic scholar and theologian who authored several treatises on religious doctrine and jurisprudence.
Another noteworthy figure from this era was Shah Khodabakhsh, a Sufi mystic and spiritual leader who gained a significant following in the region. His teachings and writings on mysticism and the divine path were widely disseminated and continue to be studied to this day.
As the centuries progressed, the surname "KHODABAKHSH" spread beyond the borders of Iran and can be found among individuals of Persian descent in various parts of the world. However, its roots remain firmly entrenched in the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of Persia, serving as a testament to the enduring influence of the region's history and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khodabakhsh
Among Census respondents with the surname Khodabakhsh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Khodabakhsh 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 Khodabakhsh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 101
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khodabakhsh
Khodabakhsh appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,839 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Up 5,839 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 Khodabakhsh 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 | #156,044 | #150,205 | 3.7% |
| Count | 104 | 109 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khodabakhsh bearers went from 104 to 109 (+4.8% change). The surname moved up 5,839 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #150,205.
FAQ
Khodabakhsh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khodabakhsh?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Khodabakhsh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Khodabakhsh?
Khodabakhsh ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Khodabakhsh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Khodabakhsh.
Has Khodabakhsh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khodabakhsh went from 104 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Khodabakhsh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khodabakhsh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Khodabakhsh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khodabakhsh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Khodabakhsh (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 Khodabakhsh mean?
A surname of Persian origin meaning "bestowed by God". 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 Khodabakhsh (0.04 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 surname Khodabakhsh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.