2000
#99,214
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Mahfood
An Arabic surname derived from "mahmood" meaning praiseworthy or commendable.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 251 Americans carry the last name Mahfood. That puts it at #90,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,365,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahfood 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
251
1 in 1,365,555
Census rank
#90,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
219
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 219 bearers of the surname Mahfood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahfood, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahfood
The surname MAHFOOD originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle Eastern region. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "mahfooz," which means "protected" or "guarded." This name likely emerged during the medieval era in regions such as modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MAHFOOD surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the city of Damascus, where it appeared in a local census record. The name was also found in historical manuscripts from the Mamluk period, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
In the 15th century, the MAHFOOD surname was mentioned in a document from the Ottoman Empire, suggesting that individuals bearing this name had migrated or were present in areas under Ottoman rule. Some variations in spelling, such as "Mahfud" or "Mahfoudh," were also observed in these records.
Notable individuals who bore the MAHFOOD surname include Ibn Mahfood al-Dimashqi, a renowned scholar and philosopher from Damascus who lived in the 12th century. Another prominent figure was Khalil Mahfood, a Lebanese poet and writer born in 1884, who played a significant role in the Nahda literary movement.
In the 19th century, Yusuf Mahfood, a Palestinian merchant and landowner, was known for his influential role in the economic and social affairs of the region. Additionally, Salih Mahfood, an Egyptian politician and diplomat, served as the Prime Minister of Egypt from 1952 to 1953.
The MAHFOOD surname has also been associated with various place names, such as the village of Mahfood in Lebanon, which may have derived its name from early settlers with this surname. Similarly, the town of Mahfud in Yemen likely has connections to individuals bearing this name.
While the MAHFOOD surname has its origins in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, it is important to note that this report focuses solely on the historical and etymological aspects of the surname and does not include modern census data or recent trends.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahfood
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahfood, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahfood 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 Mahfood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.6% · 183
- Black or African American9.6% · 21
- Two or more races4.6% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mahfood
Mahfood 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
+40 bearers (+23.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 10,529 places
2020
#90,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
+10 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 1,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,214 | 169 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #88,685 | 209 | 0.07 | +40 bearers (+23.7%) | Up 10,529 places |
| 2020 | #90,519 | 219 | 0.07 | +10 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 1,834 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 Mahfood 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 | #90,519 | -2.1% |
| Count | 209 | 219 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mahfood bearers went from 209 to 219 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 1,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #88,685 to #90,519.
FAQ
Mahfood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mahfood?
Name Census estimates that about 251 living Americans carry the surname Mahfood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,365,555 residents.
How common is Mahfood?
Mahfood ranks #90,519 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 219 people with the surname Mahfood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (251), 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 Mahfood.
Has Mahfood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mahfood went from 209 recorded bearers to 219. That is an increase of 10 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #88,685 to #90,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Mahfood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahfood, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.6%. The next largest groups are Black (9.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mahfood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (183 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mahfood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.6%), Black (9.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Mahfood (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 Mahfood mean?
An Arabic surname derived from "mahmood" meaning praiseworthy or commendable. 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 Mahfood (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 surname Mahfood?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.