2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Masai
A surname referring to the Maasai people, an ethnic group in Kenya and Tanzania.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Masai. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Masai 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Masai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Masai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (16.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Masai
The surname "MASAI" is derived from the name of the Maasai people, a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting parts of Kenya and northern Tanzania. This name has its origins in the Maa language spoken by the Maasai, and is believed to have emerged during the 17th or 18th century.
Historically, the Maasai were a semi-nomadic pastoralist people, renowned for their distinctive cultural traditions, including their intricate beadwork, colorful clothing, and their close relationship with cattle. The name "MASAI" likely originated as a way to identify individuals or families belonging to this ethnic group.
While there are no known historical records or manuscripts specifically mentioning the surname "MASAI," the name itself is intrinsically linked to the history and culture of the Maasai people. Some of the earliest recorded examples of individuals bearing this surname date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when European explorers and missionaries began documenting their encounters with the Maasai.
One notable individual with the surname "MASAI" was Laibon Masai, a revered Maasai spiritual leader and healer who lived in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in preserving the traditional beliefs and practices of the Maasai people during a time of rapid cultural change.
Another prominent figure was Joseph Masai Leshakwet (1888-1977), a Maasai chief and elder who advocated for the rights and preservation of his people's land and culture. He was instrumental in negotiations with the British colonial authorities and later served as a member of the Kenyan Legislative Council.
In the realm of literature, Naomi Shihura Masai (1950-2009) was a renowned Maasai author and activist. Her works, such as "The Prosperous Nomad," provided insights into the Maasai way of life and challenged stereotypes about their culture.
More recently, Samson Masai Parashina (1932-2004) gained recognition as a Maasai artist and sculptor, whose works celebrated the beauty and traditions of his people. His sculptures are exhibited in various museums and galleries around the world.
Additionally, Leah Masai (born in the 1980s) is a contemporary Maasai artist and activist who uses her art to raise awareness about issues affecting the Maasai community, such as land rights and environmental conservation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Masai
Among Census respondents with the surname Masai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (16.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Masai 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 Masai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander50.0% · 50
- Black or African American22.0% · 22
- Two or more races16.0% · 16
- White11.0% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Masai
Masai 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
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-8 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 4,150 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 Masai 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 | #151,532 | #155,682 | -2.7% |
| Count | 108 | 100 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Masai bearers went from 108 to 100 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 4,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #155,682.
FAQ
Masai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Masai?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Masai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Masai?
Masai ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Masai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Masai.
Has Masai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Masai went from 108 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Masai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Masai, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (16.0%). 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 Masai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (50 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Masai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (50.0%), Black (22.0%), Two or More Races (16.0%). 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 Masai (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 Masai mean?
A surname referring to the Maasai people, an ethnic group in Kenya and Tanzania. 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 Masai (0.03 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 Masai?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Masai at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.