2000
#22,174
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,087
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Khouri
An Arabic surname meaning "priest" or "monk."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,625 Americans carry the last name Khouri. That puts it at #19,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 210,926 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khouri 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
1.6K
1 in 210,926
Census rank
#19,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,417 bearers of the surname Khouri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khouri, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khouri
The surname KHOURI has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Levant region which today encompasses countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. It is an Arabic name derived from the word "khouri," meaning "monk" or "priest." This suggests that the name may have originally been given to individuals who were part of the clergy or had close ties to the Christian church in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KHOURI can be traced back to the 14th century, when it appeared in various documents and manuscripts in the Levant. The name was prevalent among Christian communities, particularly those belonging to the Maronite, Greek Orthodox, and Melkite Catholic churches, which have a strong presence in the region.
During the Ottoman Empire's rule over the Levant, the KHOURI name was commonly found among prominent families and individuals who played significant roles in the social, political, and religious spheres of the time. For example, in the 18th century, Patriarch Estephan El-Douaihy, a prominent figure in the Maronite Church, had the surname KHOURI.
The name KHOURI also appears in historical records related to the Silk Road trade routes that connected the Middle East with Asia and Europe. Some merchants and traders who facilitated the exchange of goods and ideas along these routes bore the surname KHOURI, indicating their involvement in these commercial activities.
One notable figure with the surname KHOURI was Michel Najeeb Khouri, a Lebanese writer and poet who lived from 1877 to 1938. His works were instrumental in shaping the literary landscape of Lebanon during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another prominent individual was Raphael Khouri, a Palestinian banker and diplomat who was born in Jerusalem in 1892. He played a crucial role in establishing the Arab National Bank and represented the Arab Higher Committee at various international conferences during the 1940s.
In the realm of art, Saloua Raouda Choucair, a Lebanese sculptor and painter born in 1916, made significant contributions to the modern art movement in the Middle East. Her sculptures and abstract works gained international recognition, and she is considered a pioneering figure in the region's art scene.
Georges Khouri, a renowned Lebanese fashion designer, was born in 1924 and gained recognition for his haute couture creations, which were showcased on prestigious runways worldwide. His designs showcased the rich cultural heritage of the Middle East while incorporating modern and innovative elements.
Finally, Dina Khouri, a contemporary Palestinian-American actress born in 1962, has appeared in numerous television shows and films, including "The L Word" and "Homeland." Her performances have brought visibility to Middle Eastern and Arab narratives in the entertainment industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khouri
Among Census respondents with the surname Khouri, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Khouri 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 Khouri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 1,194
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 82
- Two or more races4.7% · 66
- Black or African American4.2% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khouri
Khouri 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
#22,081
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,173
+86 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 93 places
2020
#19,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,417
+244 bearers (+20.8%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 2,923 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,174 | 1,087 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,081 | 1,173 | 0.40 | +86 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 93 places |
| 2020 | #19,158 | 1,417 | 0.47 | +244 bearers (+20.8%) | Up 2,923 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 Khouri 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 | #22,081 | #19,158 | 13.2% |
| Count | 1,173 | 1,417 | 20.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.47 | 18.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khouri bearers went from 1,173 to 1,417 (+20.8% change). The surname moved up 2,923 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,081 to #19,158.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Khouri
FAQ
Khouri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khouri?
Name Census estimates that about 1,625 living Americans carry the surname Khouri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 210,926 residents.
How common is Khouri?
Khouri ranks #19,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.47 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 1,417 people with the surname Khouri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,625), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.47 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 Khouri.
Has Khouri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khouri went from 1,173 recorded bearers to 1,417. That is an increase of 244 (+20.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,081 to #19,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Khouri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khouri, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Khouri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (1,194 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khouri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Khouri (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 Khouri mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "priest" or "monk." 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 Khouri (0.47 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 Americans have the surname Khouri?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.