2000
#19,136
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.49
Rare Last name
Miah
A variant of the surname Mia, indicating a possible connection to the Sanskrit word for "limit" or "boundary."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,777 Americans carry the last name Miah. That puts it at #9,453 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,748 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Miah 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 Miah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,748
Census rank
#9,453
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,294 bearers of the surname Miah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9453rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Miah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Miah
The surname "MIAH" is believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Bengal, which is now divided between modern-day Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. The name is thought to have derived from the Arabic word "Mia," which means "master" or "leader."
In the medieval period, the name was commonly used as a title or honorific for respected individuals, particularly those involved in religious or scholarly pursuits. As time passed, the title became more closely associated with certain families and eventually evolved into a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "MIAH" can be found in the "Ain-i-Akbari," a 16th-century administrative document compiled during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. This work contains references to several individuals with the surname, indicating its widespread use in the region at that time.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the Bengal region, often in connection with influential families or individuals involved in trade, education, or religious activities.
Notable historical figures who bore the surname "MIAH" include:
1. Miah Muhammad Saifuddin (1567-1625), a renowned Islamic scholar and writer from Bengal who authored several influential works on theology and jurisprudence.
2. Miah Bairam Khan (1562-1624), a prominent military commander and governor under the Mughal Empire, known for his loyalty and bravery on the battlefield.
3. Miah Mohsin Ali Khan (1737-1806), a wealthy landowner and philanthropist from Dhaka, who funded the construction of several mosques, schools, and charitable institutions in the region.
4. Miah Gholam Mustafa (1766-1838), a celebrated poet and writer from Bengal who composed numerous works in the Bengali language, contributing significantly to the region's literary heritage.
5. Miah Titumir (1782-1831), a renowned leader of the Faraizi movement, which sought to revive Islamic practices and oppose the British colonial rule in Bengal.
The name "MIAH" has also been associated with various place names and localities in the Bengal region, reflecting the historical presence and influence of families bearing this surname in those areas. Examples include the village of Miah Bazar in Sylhet, Bangladesh, and the town of Miah Ghat in West Bengal, India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Miah
Among Census respondents with the surname Miah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Miah 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 Miah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.7% · 2,921
- Two or more races3.4% · 111
- Black or African American3.2% · 105
- White2.9% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Miah
Miah 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
#12,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,456
+1,142 bearers (+86.9%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 6,534 places
2020
#9,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,294
+838 bearers (+34.1%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 3,149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,136 | 1,314 | 0.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,602 | 2,456 | 0.83 | +1,142 bearers (+86.9%) | Up 6,534 places |
| 2020 | #9,453 | 3,294 | 1.10 | +838 bearers (+34.1%) | Up 3,149 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 Miah 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 | #12,602 | #9,453 | 25.0% |
| Count | 2,456 | 3,294 | 34.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 1.10 | 32.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Miah bearers went from 2,456 to 3,294 (+34.1% change). The surname moved up 3,149 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,602 to #9,453.
FAQ
Miah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Miah?
Name Census estimates that about 3,777 living Americans carry the surname Miah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,748 residents.
How common is Miah?
Miah ranks #9,453 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,294 people with the surname Miah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Miah.
Has Miah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Miah went from 2,456 recorded bearers to 3,294. That is an increase of 838 (+34.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,602 to #9,453.
What does the Census say about the background of Miah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Miah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Black (3.2%). 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 Miah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.7% (2,921 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Miah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Black (3.2%). 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 Miah (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 Miah mean?
A variant of the surname Mia, indicating a possible connection to the Sanskrit word for "limit" or "boundary." 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 Miah (1.10 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 last name Miah?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Miah? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.