2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mahboubi
A surname of Arabic origin potentially meaning "beloved" or "admired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Mahboubi. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahboubi 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Mahboubi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahboubi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahboubi
The surname MAHBOUBI originated in Iran during the 17th century. It is derived from the Persian word "Mahboob," meaning "beloved" or "loved one." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or term of endearment, which later became a hereditary surname.
During the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736), which ruled over modern-day Iran and parts of surrounding regions, many surnames emerged from descriptive nicknames or occupational titles. The MAHBOUBI surname may have been attributed to individuals who were particularly beloved or cherished within their community.
There are no known historical references to the MAHBOUBI surname in ancient manuscripts or records from that era. However, some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in Persian genealogical records and local archives from the 18th and 19th centuries.
One notable figure with the MAHBOUBI surname was Mirza Mohammad Mahboubi (1790-1867), a prominent Persian scholar and poet during the Qajar Dynasty. He was renowned for his mastery of Persian literature and his contributions to the literary and cultural renaissance of that period.
Another historical figure was Mirza Hossein Mahboubi (1845-1920), a prominent Iranian statesman and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the Qajar rulers. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and European powers.
In the 20th century, Reza Mahboubi (1901-1983) was a renowned Iranian architect and urban planner. He is best known for his work in designing and constructing several iconic buildings and public spaces in Tehran, including the famous Shahr Theatre and the Baharestan Square.
Hossein Mahboubi (1912-1998) was a renowned Iranian painter and sculptor, known for his avant-garde style and his contributions to the modern art movement in Iran. His works are displayed in various museums and galleries around the world.
Another notable figure was Maryam Mahboubi (1928-2019), a prominent Iranian women's rights activist and author. She played a significant role in advocating for gender equality and women's empowerment in Iran, challenging traditional societal norms and promoting educational and professional opportunities for women.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahboubi
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahboubi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahboubi 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 Mahboubi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.4% · 7
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mahboubi
Mahboubi 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,099 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,099 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 Mahboubi 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 | #148,347 | #149,446 | -0.7% |
| Count | 111 | 110 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mahboubi bearers went from 111 to 110 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #149,446.
FAQ
Mahboubi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mahboubi?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Mahboubi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Mahboubi?
Mahboubi ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Mahboubi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Mahboubi.
Has Mahboubi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mahboubi went from 111 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Mahboubi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahboubi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Mahboubi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mahboubi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.4%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Mahboubi (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 Mahboubi mean?
A surname of Arabic origin potentially meaning "beloved" or "admired." 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 Mahboubi (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 common is the surname Mahboubi?
See how many people have the last name Mahboubi on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.