2000
#104,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Kobeissi
An Arabic surname referring to one from the town of Kubayssa.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 253 Americans carry the last name Kobeissi. That puts it at #89,848 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,354,760 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kobeissi 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
253
1 in 1,354,760
Census rank
#89,848
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
221
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 221 bearers of the surname Kobeissi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 89848th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobeissi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kobeissi
The surname KOBEISSI has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in Lebanon and Syria. It is an Arabic surname that can be traced back to the 16th century or earlier. The name is believed to be derived from the Arabic phrase "kobaisi," which means "small cube" or "dice." This may suggest that the family's ancestors were involved in some form of trade or commerce related to cubes or dice.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the KOBEISSI name can be found in Ottoman records from the 16th century, where it was spelled as "Qubaysi." This variation in spelling was common as Arabic names were often transliterated differently into other languages and scripts. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Mount Lebanon and the coastal areas of present-day Lebanon and Syria.
In the 18th century, there are records of a KOBEISSI family residing in the town of Bsharri, located in the northern region of Lebanon. This town was known for its rich cultural heritage and was the birthplace of several notable figures, including the famous Lebanese writer and poet, Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), who is considered one of the most influential authors of the 20th century.
Another notable figure bearing the KOBEISSI surname was Ibrahim KOBEISSI (1834-1891), a Lebanese scholar and intellectual who played a significant role in the Arab Renaissance movement of the 19th century. He was a prolific writer and translator, contributing to the spread of knowledge and ideas in the Arab world.
In the 20th century, the KOBEISSI name gained prominence with individuals such as Michel KOBEISSI (1906-1985), a Lebanese lawyer and politician who served as the President of Lebanon from 1952 to 1958. He was instrumental in drafting the country's constitution and played a crucial role in shaping Lebanon's political landscape during a tumultuous period.
Another noteworthy individual was Farid KOBEISSI (1920-2008), a renowned Lebanese architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and landmarks in Beirut and other cities in the Middle East, leaving a lasting impact on the region's architectural landscape.
As the Lebanese diaspora spread around the world, the KOBEISSI surname can now be found in various countries, particularly in North and South America, Europe, and Australia, where individuals of Lebanese descent have settled and established themselves.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kobeissi
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobeissi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kobeissi 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 Kobeissi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.8% · 214
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kobeissi
Kobeissi 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
#88,685
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 209
+50 bearers (+31.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 15,572 places
2020
#89,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 221
+12 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 1,163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #104,257 | 159 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #88,685 | 209 | 0.07 | +50 bearers (+31.4%) | Up 15,572 places |
| 2020 | #89,848 | 221 | 0.07 | +12 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 1,163 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 Kobeissi 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 | #88,685 | #89,848 | -1.3% |
| Count | 209 | 221 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kobeissi bearers went from 209 to 221 (+5.7% change). The surname moved down 1,163 positions in the national ranking, going from #88,685 to #89,848.
FAQ
Kobeissi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kobeissi?
Name Census estimates that about 253 living Americans carry the surname Kobeissi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,354,760 residents.
How common is Kobeissi?
Kobeissi ranks #89,848 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 221 people with the surname Kobeissi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (253), 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 Kobeissi.
Has Kobeissi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kobeissi went from 209 recorded bearers to 221. That is an increase of 12 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #88,685 to #89,848.
What does the Census say about the background of Kobeissi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kobeissi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Kobeissi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.8% (214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kobeissi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.8%), Hispanic (2.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.5%). 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 Kobeissi (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 Kobeissi mean?
An Arabic surname referring to one from the town of Kubayssa. 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 Kobeissi (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 are called Kobeissi?
Find out how common the surname Kobeissi is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.