2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Khoshnaw
A surname meaning "sweet" or "delightful" and of Persian origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 229 Americans carry the last name Khoshnaw. That puts it at #97,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,496,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khoshnaw 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
229
1 in 1,496,744
Census rank
#97,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
200
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 200 bearers of the surname Khoshnaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khoshnaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.0%) and Hispanic (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khoshnaw
The surname KHOSHNAW has its roots in the Kurdish region of modern-day Iraq and Iran. It is believed to have originated sometime in the 14th or 15th century, though its exact etymology is unclear. Some scholars suggest that it may be derived from the Persian words "khosh" meaning "pleasant" and "naw" meaning "name" or "fame," potentially indicating a connection to a person of good reputation or renown.
One of the earliest known references to the KHOSHNAW surname can be found in a collection of Persian poetry from the late 15th century, where a poet named Ahmed KHOSHNAW is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during that period, though the details of this individual's life and background remain uncertain.
In the 17th century, there are records of a prominent Kurdish leader named Mir Mahmud KHOSHNAW, who played a significant role in the region's political and military affairs. He is said to have been a skilled strategist and diplomat, commanding respect from both his allies and rivals.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the KHOSHNAW name was Haji Qadri KHOSHNAW, a Kurdish scholar and theologian who made significant contributions to the study of Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy. Born in 1817 in the village of Khoshnaw, he authored several influential works and was widely respected within the Kurdish intellectual circles of his time.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Salah KHOSHNAW, a Kurdish poet and writer who lived in the early 20th century. His works, which often celebrated Kurdish culture and identity, were widely read and admired both within and beyond the Kurdish regions.
More recently, in the latter half of the 20th century, Taha KHOSHNAW gained recognition as a Kurdish linguist and academic. He dedicated his career to preserving and promoting the Kurdish language, authoring numerous books and articles on its grammar, syntax, and evolution.
While the KHOSHNAW surname is primarily associated with the Kurdish regions of Iraq and Iran, it is also found among Kurdish communities in other parts of the world, including Turkey, Syria, and various diasporic communities abroad. However, detailed historical records and accounts of individuals bearing this name from other regions are less readily available.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khoshnaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Khoshnaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.0%) and Hispanic (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Khoshnaw 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 Khoshnaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 180
- Two or more races8.0% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khoshnaw
Khoshnaw 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
+30 bearers (+27.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 17,240 places
2020
#97,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+62 bearers (+44.9%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 27,189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +30 bearers (+27.8%) | Up 17,240 places |
| 2020 | #97,359 | 200 | 0.07 | +62 bearers (+44.9%) | Up 27,189 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 Khoshnaw 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 | #97,359 | 21.8% |
| Count | 138 | 200 | 44.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khoshnaw bearers went from 138 to 200 (+44.9% change). The surname moved up 27,189 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #97,359.
FAQ
Khoshnaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khoshnaw?
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the surname Khoshnaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,496,744 residents.
How common is Khoshnaw?
Khoshnaw ranks #97,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 200 people with the surname Khoshnaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Khoshnaw.
Has Khoshnaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khoshnaw went from 138 recorded bearers to 200. That is an increase of 62 (+44.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #124,548 to #97,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Khoshnaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khoshnaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.0%) and Hispanic (1.5%). 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 Khoshnaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khoshnaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (8.0%), Hispanic (1.5%). 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 Khoshnaw (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 Khoshnaw mean?
A surname meaning "sweet" or "delightful" and of Persian origin. 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 Khoshnaw (0.07 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 Khoshnaw?
See how common the surname Khoshnaw is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.