2000
#11,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,645
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Najar
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "carpenter" or "woodworker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,717 Americans carry the last name Najar. That puts it at #9,593 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,213 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Najar 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
3.7K
1 in 92,213
Census rank
#9,593
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,241 bearers of the surname Najar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9593rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Najar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.1%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Najar
The surname NAJAR is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Najd, which is located in central Saudi Arabia. The name is derived from the Arabic word "najjar," which means "carpenter" or "woodworker." It is likely that the surname was initially given to individuals or families who worked as carpenters or woodworkers in the region.
The earliest known records of the surname NAJAR can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early days of the Islamic Empire. The name is mentioned in several ancient Arabic manuscripts and chronicles, often in reference to skilled artisans and craftsmen who contributed to the construction of mosques, palaces, and other architectural marvels of the time.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname NAJAR was Abu Bakr al-Najar, a prominent carpenter and architect who lived in Medina during the 7th century AD. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several influential mosques, including the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina, which is considered one of the holiest sites in Islam.
Another notable figure with the surname NAJAR was Ibn al-Najar, a renowned mathematician and astronomer who lived in Andalusia (modern-day Spain) during the 11th century AD. He made significant contributions to the fields of trigonometry and spherical geometry, and his works were widely studied and referenced by scholars throughout the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, the NAJAR surname appeared in the records of the Mamluk Sultanate, which ruled over Egypt, Syria, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. One notable individual from this period was Baybars al-Najar, a skilled military commander and architect who rose through the ranks of the Mamluk army to become the Sultan of Egypt in 1260 AD.
As the centuries passed, the NAJAR surname spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula and became prevalent in various parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Several prominent figures with this surname emerged, including Yusuf al-Najar, a renowned poet and scholar from Morocco who lived in the 17th century AD, and Ahmad al-Najar, a celebrated architect from Ottoman Syria who designed many iconic mosques and buildings in the 18th century AD.
While the NAJAR surname has its roots in the Arabian Peninsula, it has since become a part of the cultural heritage of several countries and regions across the Middle East and North Africa. The name remains a testament to the rich history and traditions of skilled craftsmanship and artistry in these regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Najar
Among Census respondents with the surname Najar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.1%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Najar 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 Najar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino77.1% · 2,498
- White20.0% · 649
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 28
- Two or more races0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Najar
Najar 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
#9,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,296
+651 bearers (+24.6%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 1,205 places
2020
#9,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,241
-55 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 228 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,026 | 2,645 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,821 | 3,296 | 1.12 | +651 bearers (+24.6%) | Up 1,205 places |
| 2020 | #9,593 | 3,241 | 1.08 | -55 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 228 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 Najar 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 | #9,821 | #9,593 | 2.3% |
| Count | 3,296 | 3,241 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.08 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Najar bearers went from 3,296 to 3,241 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 228 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,821 to #9,593.
FAQ
Najar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Najar?
Name Census estimates that about 3,717 living Americans carry the surname Najar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,213 residents.
How common is Najar?
Najar ranks #9,593 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,241 people with the surname Najar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,717), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Najar.
Has Najar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Najar went from 3,296 recorded bearers to 3,241. That is a decrease of 55 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,821 to #9,593.
What does the Census say about the background of Najar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Najar, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 77.1%. The next largest groups are White (20.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Najar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.1% (2,498 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Najar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (77.1%), White (20.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Najar (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 Najar mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "carpenter" or "woodworker." 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 Najar (1.08 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 Najar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.