2000
#8,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,525
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.31
Rare Last name
Mahmood
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Mahmud," an Arabic given name meaning "praiseworthy" or "commendable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,419 Americans carry the last name Mahmood. That puts it at #4,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,712 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mahmood 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 Mahmood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.4K
1 in 40,712
Census rank
#4,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,342 bearers of the surname Mahmood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahmood, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mahmood
The surname Mahmood has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the regions that are now known as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and other parts of the Arabian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Muhammad," which means "praised one" or "praiseworthy."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Mahmood can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the time of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad and the early days of Islam. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of this surname were either direct descendants or followers of the Prophet Muhammad, who adopted the name as a mark of respect and reverence.
In the centuries that followed, the surname Mahmood spread across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as parts of Central and South Asia, as Islam expanded its reach. The name can be found in various historical documents and manuscripts from these regions, including records of trade, governance, and religious texts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mahmood is found in the writings of the 9th century Arab scholar and historian, Al-Tabari, who mentions a person named Mahmood ibn Ismail, a military commander during the Abbasid Caliphate. Another notable figure bearing the surname Mahmood is Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi, a 10th century ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire, which spanned parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
In the Indian subcontinent, the name Mahmood gained prominence during the Delhi Sultanate period, which lasted from the 13th to the 16th century. One of the most famous rulers of this period was Sultan Mahmood Shah Khalji, who ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1436 to 1469 CE. Another notable figure was Mahmood Begarha, the sultan of Gujarat from 1459 to 1511 CE, who was known for his architectural contributions, including the construction of the famous Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad.
Over the centuries, the surname Mahmood has been adopted by people of various ethnicities and cultures, particularly those with Muslim heritage or connections to the regions where the name originated. Some other notable historical figures bearing this surname include Mahmood Ayaz, a 12th century Turkish commander in the service of the Seljuk Empire, and Mahmood Gawan, a 15th century Persian poet and statesman who served under the Timurid dynasty.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mahmood
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahmood, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Mahmood 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 Mahmood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander72.8% · 5,344
- White18.3% · 1,345
- Two or more races4.7% · 343
- Black or African American2.5% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 119
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mahmood
Mahmood 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
#6,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,384
+1,859 bearers (+52.7%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Up 2,259 places
2020
#4,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,342
+1,958 bearers (+36.4%)
Per 100,000 2.46
Rank movement Up 1,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,594 | 3,525 | 1.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,335 | 5,384 | 1.83 | +1,859 bearers (+52.7%) | Up 2,259 places |
| 2020 | #4,686 | 7,342 | 2.46 | +1,958 bearers (+36.4%) | Up 1,649 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 Mahmood 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 | #6,335 | #4,686 | 26.0% |
| Count | 5,384 | 7,342 | 36.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 2.46 | 34.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mahmood bearers went from 5,384 to 7,342 (+36.4% change). The surname moved up 1,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,335 to #4,686.
FAQ
Mahmood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mahmood?
Name Census estimates that about 8,419 living Americans carry the surname Mahmood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,712 residents.
How common is Mahmood?
Mahmood ranks #4,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,342 people with the surname Mahmood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,419), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Mahmood.
Has Mahmood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mahmood went from 5,384 recorded bearers to 7,342. That is an increase of 1,958 (+36.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,335 to #4,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Mahmood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mahmood, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 72.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mahmood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.8% (5,344 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mahmood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (72.8%), White (18.3%), 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 Mahmood (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 Mahmood mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of Mahmud," an Arabic given name 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 Mahmood (2.46 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 Mahmood?
Want to know how common the surname Mahmood is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.