2000
#92,601
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Murtaza
An Anglicized form of the Arabic name Murtadha, meaning "one who is chosen or approved."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 663 Americans carry the last name Murtaza. That puts it at #40,749 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 516,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Murtaza 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 Murtaza with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
663
1 in 516,975
Census rank
#40,749
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
578
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 578 bearers of the surname Murtaza in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 40749th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Murtaza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Murtaza
The surname MURTAZA has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have emerged in the Middle East during the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "murtaza," which means "chosen one" or "chosen by God." The name holds significant religious and cultural significance in the Islamic tradition.
In the early days of Islam, the name MURTAZA was often used as an honorific title for individuals who were highly esteemed or revered within the Muslim community. It was commonly associated with prominent figures, scholars, and spiritual leaders who had made significant contributions to the faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MURTAZA can be found in the writings of Islamic scholars and historians from the 8th and 9th centuries. These sources often refer to individuals bearing this name, indicating its widespread use during that period.
The surname MURTAZA has been closely linked to the city of Karbala in modern-day Iraq, which is a significant religious site for Shia Muslims. Many historical records and manuscripts from the region mention individuals with this surname, suggesting its prevalence in the area.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname MURTAZA. One of the most famous was Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, who was also known as Ali al-Murtaza. He lived from 599 to 661 AD and played a crucial role in the early development of Islam.
Another prominent individual was Abu al-Qasim al-Murtaza, a renowned Shia scholar and theologian who lived in the 11th century AD. He was highly respected for his contributions to Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy.
In the 12th century, there was Nasir al-Din al-Murtaza, a notable Persian poet and philosopher who hailed from the city of Nishapur in present-day Iran. His works were widely acclaimed and influential during his lifetime.
During the 19th century, a reformist and activist named Murtaza Muhammad Ali Bahadur Ansari, better known as Murtaza Quli Khan, played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British rule. He was born in 1825 and died in 1890.
In more recent times, Murtaza Bhutto, the son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was a prominent figure in Pakistani politics. He was born in 1954 and was assassinated in 1996 during a political rally in Karachi.
While the surname MURTAZA has its roots in the Middle East and the Islamic tradition, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including South Asia, North Africa, and Europe, due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Murtaza
Among Census respondents with the surname Murtaza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Murtaza 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 Murtaza surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.8% · 496
- White4.5% · 26
- Two or more races3.5% · 20
- Black or African American3.3% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Murtaza
Murtaza 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
#56,195
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 364
+180 bearers (+97.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 36,406 places
2020
#40,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 578
+214 bearers (+58.8%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 15,446 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #92,601 | 184 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #56,195 | 364 | 0.12 | +180 bearers (+97.8%) | Up 36,406 places |
| 2020 | #40,749 | 578 | 0.19 | +214 bearers (+58.8%) | Up 15,446 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 Murtaza 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 | #56,195 | #40,749 | 27.5% |
| Count | 364 | 578 | 58.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.19 | 61.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Murtaza bearers went from 364 to 578 (+58.8% change). The surname moved up 15,446 positions in the national ranking, going from #56,195 to #40,749.
FAQ
Murtaza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Murtaza?
Name Census estimates that about 663 living Americans carry the surname Murtaza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 516,975 residents.
How common is Murtaza?
Murtaza ranks #40,749 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 578 people with the surname Murtaza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (663), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Murtaza.
Has Murtaza become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Murtaza went from 364 recorded bearers to 578. That is an increase of 214 (+58.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #56,195 to #40,749.
What does the Census say about the background of Murtaza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Murtaza, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Murtaza in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (496 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Murtaza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.8%), White (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Murtaza (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 Murtaza mean?
An Anglicized form of the Arabic name Murtadha, meaning "one who is chosen or approved." 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 Murtaza (0.19 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 share the surname Murtaza?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.