2000
#9,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,234
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Mirza
A Persian title of nobility denoting a prince or a high-ranking member of the royal family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,079 Americans carry the last name Mirza. That puts it at #5,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,418 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mirza 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 Mirza with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,418
Census rank
#5,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,173 bearers of the surname Mirza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mirza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.1%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mirza
The surname Mirza originated in Persia, modern-day Iran, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Persian word "mir," which means "lord" or "prince," and the suffix "za," which indicates lineage or descent. The name was initially used to refer to members of the Persian royal family or nobility.
In the 16th century, the Mirza surname gained prominence in the Mughal Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent. During this period, the title "Mirza" was bestowed upon the sons and grandsons of Mughal emperors, as well as other members of the imperial family. The Mirzas played a significant role in the administration and governance of the Mughal Empire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Mirza surname can be found in the Akbarnama, a historical chronicle written by Abul Fazl during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1542-1605). The Akbarnama mentions several Mirzas who served as officials and nobles in Akbar's court.
Over time, the Mirza surname spread beyond the Persian and Mughal empires, and it can now be found in various parts of the world, particularly in South Asia and Central Asia. Some notable individuals with the Mirza surname include:
1. Ghulam Ahmad Mirza (1835-1908), the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim movement.
2. Iskandar Mirza (1899-1969), the first President of Pakistan.
3. Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869), a renowned Urdu and Persian poet from the Mughal era.
4. Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869), another name for the poet Mirza Ghalib.
5. Mirza Fatali Akhundov (1812-1878), an Azerbaijani playwright and philosopher.
The Mirza surname has a rich history and has been associated with nobility, literature, and leadership throughout the centuries. While its origins can be traced back to Persia, the name has transcended geographical boundaries and continues to be a part of diverse cultural traditions across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mirza
Among Census respondents with the surname Mirza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.1%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Mirza 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 Mirza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander74.1% · 4,575
- White17.5% · 1,083
- Two or more races5.6% · 345
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 121
- Black or African American0.6% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mirza
Mirza 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
#6,940
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,831
+1,597 bearers (+49.4%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Up 2,327 places
2020
#5,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,173
+1,342 bearers (+27.8%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Up 1,491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,267 | 3,234 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,940 | 4,831 | 1.64 | +1,597 bearers (+49.4%) | Up 2,327 places |
| 2020 | #5,449 | 6,173 | 2.07 | +1,342 bearers (+27.8%) | Up 1,491 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 Mirza 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 | #6,940 | #5,449 | 21.5% |
| Count | 4,831 | 6,173 | 27.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 2.07 | 25.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mirza bearers went from 4,831 to 6,173 (+27.8% change). The surname moved up 1,491 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,940 to #5,449.
FAQ
Mirza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mirza?
Name Census estimates that about 7,079 living Americans carry the surname Mirza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,418 residents.
How common is Mirza?
Mirza ranks #5,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.07 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 6,173 people with the surname Mirza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,079), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.07 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 Mirza.
Has Mirza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mirza went from 4,831 recorded bearers to 6,173. That is an increase of 1,342 (+27.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,940 to #5,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Mirza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mirza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 74.1%. The next largest groups are White (17.5%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mirza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.1% (4,575 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mirza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (74.1%), White (17.5%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Mirza (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 Mirza mean?
A Persian title of nobility denoting a prince or a high-ranking member of the royal family. 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 Mirza (2.07 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 last name Mirza?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Mirza is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.