2000
#55,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Mazar
A surname of Slavic or Iranian origin referring to someone from Mazar, a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 415 Americans carry the last name Mazar. That puts it at #60,172 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 825,914 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mazar 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
415
1 in 825,914
Census rank
#60,172
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
362
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 362 bearers of the surname Mazar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60172nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mazar
The surname MAZAR is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the regions of modern-day Iran and Afghanistan. It is thought to be derived from the Persian word "mazar," which means "tomb" or "shrine." This suggests that the name may have been associated with people who lived near or worked at a mazar or holy site.
The earliest known records of the MAZAR surname date back to the 13th century, when it was mentioned in Persian manuscripts and historical documents. One notable mention is in the "Tadhkirat al-Awliya," a biographical work written by the Persian poet and scholar Farid al-Din Attar in the late 12th century, which includes references to individuals with the surname MAZAR.
In the 14th century, the MAZAR name appeared in various Persian and Arabic texts, often in connection with religious scholars, poets, and other notable figures. For example, Nur al-Din Muhammad MAZAR, a renowned Persian poet and scholar, lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
During the Timurid and Safavid eras in Persia (modern-day Iran and parts of Central Asia), the MAZAR surname was relatively common among the educated classes and those associated with religious institutions and shrines. One notable figure from this period was Mirza Muhammad MAZAR, a 16th-century Persian calligrapher and poet.
As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes opened up, the MAZAR surname spread to other parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. In the 17th century, there are records of individuals with the MAZAR surname in regions like modern-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
One prominent figure with the MAZAR surname was Mir Qutb al-Din Muhammad MAZAR, a 17th-century Indian scholar and poet who wrote extensively on Sufism and Islamic philosophy. Another notable individual was Mirza Asadullah Khan MAZAR, an 18th-century Indian nobleman and poet who served as the governor of Lahore under the Mughal Empire.
As the centuries progressed, the MAZAR surname continued to be found in various parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia, often associated with religious, scholarly, or literary pursuits. However, it is important to note that this is a broad overview, and the specific origins and histories of individuals with the MAZAR surname may vary.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mazar
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mazar 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 Mazar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 319
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 13
- Two or more races1.9% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mazar
Mazar 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
#55,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 369
+24 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#60,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 362
-7 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 4,553 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,609 | 345 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,619 | 369 | 0.13 | +24 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #60,172 | 362 | 0.12 | -7 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 4,553 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 Mazar 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 | #55,619 | #60,172 | -8.2% |
| Count | 369 | 362 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.12 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mazar bearers went from 369 to 362 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 4,553 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,619 to #60,172.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mazar
FAQ
Mazar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mazar?
Name Census estimates that about 415 living Americans carry the surname Mazar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 825,914 residents.
How common is Mazar?
Mazar ranks #60,172 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 362 people with the surname Mazar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (415), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Mazar.
Has Mazar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mazar went from 369 recorded bearers to 362. That is a decrease of 7 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,619 to #60,172.
What does the Census say about the background of Mazar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mazar, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Mazar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (319 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mazar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.1%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Mazar (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 Mazar mean?
A surname of Slavic or Iranian origin referring to someone from Mazar, a place name. 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 Mazar (0.12 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 Mazar?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Mazar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.