2000
#18,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,367
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Latif
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "gentle, kind, pleasant, or friendly."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,894 Americans carry the last name Latif. That puts it at #11,856 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,436 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Latif 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 Latif with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,436
Census rank
#11,856
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,524 bearers of the surname Latif in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11856th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Latif, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.0%. The next largest groups are White (24.8%) and Black (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Latif
The surname Latif has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Latif" which means "kind" or "gentle." It is a common surname found predominantly in the Middle East, particularly in countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Pakistan.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 7th century, during the rise of Islam and the spread of the Arabic language across the Middle East and North Africa. It is believed that the name was initially used as a descriptive term to denote individuals who possessed qualities of kindness and gentleness.
In the 9th century, the name Latif appeared in several Arabic manuscripts and historical records, including the works of renowned scholars and poets. One notable individual bearing this surname was Abu'l-Qasim al-Latif al-Baghdadi, a renowned Iraqi mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 9th century.
During the medieval period, the surname Latif became more widespread, particularly among Muslim communities in the Middle East and South Asia. It was often associated with individuals from scholarly or religious backgrounds, as well as those involved in various trades and professions.
Throughout history, several prominent figures have borne the surname Latif. One example is Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, a renowned Urdu and Persian poet who lived in the 19th century (1797-1869). Another notable individual was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who lived from 1835 to 1908.
In more recent times, the surname Latif has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including academics, artists, and public figures. A few examples include Asma Jahangir (1952-2018), a renowned Pakistani human rights lawyer and social activist, and Khaled Hosseini (born 1965), an Afghan-American novelist best known for his book "The Kite Runner."
While the surname Latif has its roots in the Arabic language, it has since spread to various regions and cultures, often adapting to local linguistic traditions and spelling variations. However, its core meaning and association with qualities of kindness and gentleness have remained consistent throughout its rich history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Latif
Among Census respondents with the surname Latif, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.0%. The next largest groups are White (24.8%) and Black (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Latif 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 Latif surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander60.0% · 1,515
- White24.8% · 626
- Black or African American6.9% · 175
- Two or more races5.1% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 80
Timeline
Historical Census data for Latif
Latif 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
#14,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,011
+644 bearers (+47.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 3,826 places
2020
#11,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,524
+513 bearers (+25.5%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Up 2,912 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,594 | 1,367 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,768 | 2,011 | 0.68 | +644 bearers (+47.1%) | Up 3,826 places |
| 2020 | #11,856 | 2,524 | 0.84 | +513 bearers (+25.5%) | Up 2,912 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 Latif 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 | #14,768 | #11,856 | 19.7% |
| Count | 2,011 | 2,524 | 25.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.84 | 24.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Latif bearers went from 2,011 to 2,524 (+25.5% change). The surname moved up 2,912 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,768 to #11,856.
FAQ
Latif surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Latif?
Name Census estimates that about 2,894 living Americans carry the surname Latif. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,436 residents.
How common is Latif?
Latif ranks #11,856 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,524 people with the surname Latif. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,894), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Latif.
Has Latif become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Latif went from 2,011 recorded bearers to 2,524. That is an increase of 513 (+25.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,768 to #11,856.
What does the Census say about the background of Latif?
Among Census respondents with the surname Latif, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 60.0%. The next largest groups are White (24.8%) and Black (6.9%). 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 Latif in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.0% (1,515 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Latif appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (60.0%), White (24.8%), Black (6.9%). 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 Latif (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 Latif mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "gentle, kind, pleasant, or friendly." 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 Latif (0.84 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 share the surname Latif?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.