2000
#75,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 239
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Nakhla
A surname originating from the Arabic word for "date palm tree".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 697 Americans carry the last name Nakhla. That puts it at #39,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 491,757 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nakhla 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
697
1 in 491,757
Census rank
#39,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
608
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 608 bearers of the surname Nakhla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakhla, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nakhla
The surname Nakhla is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "nakhla" meaning "palm tree." This name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions where palm trees were prevalent, such as Egypt, Syria, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
The earliest known references to the surname Nakhla can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early years of the Islamic era. This period saw the rapid expansion of the Arabic language and culture across the Middle East and North Africa, leading to the adoption of Arabic names, including Nakhla, by various ethnic groups.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Nakhla was Abu Abdullah Nakhla al-Qurashi, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet who lived in the 9th century CE. He was born in Medina and was known for his contributions to Arabic literature and poetry.
Another notable figure with the surname Nakhla was Nakhla ibn Abi al-Husayn, a distinguished military commander who served under the Abbasid Caliphate in the 10th century CE. He played a crucial role in several military campaigns and was known for his bravery and strategic prowess.
In the 12th century CE, the surname Nakhla gained prominence in Egypt, particularly in the city of Alexandria. One of the most influential figures of this era was Ibn Nakhla al-Iskandarani, a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and Islamic theology.
During the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt in the 13th and 14th centuries, the Nakhla family held prominent positions within the military and administrative ranks. Historians have recorded the names of several Nakhla individuals who served as governors, military commanders, and advisors to the Mamluk rulers.
In more recent history, the surname Nakhla has been associated with various notable individuals across the Arab world. One such figure was Mustafa Nakhla, a prominent Egyptian lawyer and political activist who played a significant role in the Egyptian nationalist movement in the early 20th century. He was born in 1889 and was instrumental in advocating for Egyptian independence from British rule.
Another notable individual with the surname Nakhla was Nakhla Saddiq al-Misri, an Egyptian writer and journalist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was known for his literary works, which often focused on social and political issues of his time.
While the surname Nakhla has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. Today, individuals with this surname can be found in countries across the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, reflecting the rich diversity and history of this Arabic name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nakhla
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakhla, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Nakhla 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 Nakhla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 585
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 9
- Two or more races1.5% · 9
- Black or African American0.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nakhla
Nakhla 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
#52,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 392
+153 bearers (+64.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 22,368 places
2020
#39,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 608
+216 bearers (+55.1%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Up 13,748 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #75,219 | 239 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,851 | 392 | 0.13 | +153 bearers (+64.0%) | Up 22,368 places |
| 2020 | #39,103 | 608 | 0.20 | +216 bearers (+55.1%) | Up 13,748 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 Nakhla 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 | #52,851 | #39,103 | 26.0% |
| Count | 392 | 608 | 55.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.20 | 56.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nakhla bearers went from 392 to 608 (+55.1% change). The surname moved up 13,748 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,851 to #39,103.
FAQ
Nakhla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nakhla?
Name Census estimates that about 697 living Americans carry the surname Nakhla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 491,757 residents.
How common is Nakhla?
Nakhla ranks #39,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 608 people with the surname Nakhla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (697), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Nakhla.
Has Nakhla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nakhla went from 392 recorded bearers to 608. That is an increase of 216 (+55.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,851 to #39,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Nakhla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nakhla, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nakhla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (585 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nakhla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Hispanic (1.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Nakhla (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 Nakhla mean?
A surname originating from the Arabic word for "date palm tree". 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 Nakhla (0.20 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 common is the surname Nakhla?
Find out how many people have the last name Nakhla on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.