2000
#25,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 912
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Rare Last name
Naqvi
An honorific title used by descendants of Prophet Muhammad's clan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,446 Americans carry the last name Naqvi. That puts it at #10,209 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,464 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Naqvi 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 Naqvi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 99,464
Census rank
#10,209
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,005 bearers of the surname Naqvi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10209th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Naqvi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and White (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Naqvi
The surname Naqvi originated in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region that is now part of modern-day Pakistan. It is an ancient name with roots tracing back to the 7th century AD, during the early Islamic era in the region. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Naqib," which means "chief" or "leader."
In the early days of Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent, the term "Naqib" was used to refer to the leaders or chiefs of various tribes and clans. Those who held this title eventually adopted it as a surname, which eventually evolved into the modern-day spelling of "Naqvi."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of the renowned Islamic scholar and historian, Al-Biruni, who lived in the 11th century. He mentions the Naqvi clan in his accounts of the region's history.
During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century, the Naqvi surname was particularly prominent among the noble families and scholars of the time. One notable figure was Mirza Aziz Koka Naqvi (1542-1624), a prominent noble and governor during the reign of Akbar the Great.
Another influential Naqvi was Shah Waliullah Naqvi (1703-1762), a renowned Islamic scholar and reformist who played a crucial role in reviving the study of Hadith (the recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) in the region.
In the 19th century, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898), a prominent Muslim philosopher, jurist, and educational reformer, hailed from the Naqvi family. He was a pioneer in advocating for modern education among Muslims in the subcontinent and played a pivotal role in establishing the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which later became Aligarh Muslim University.
Other notable figures with the Naqvi surname include Syed Mehmood Naqvi (1909-1986), a renowned Urdu poet and critic, and Fahmida Riaz (1946-2018), a celebrated Pakistani poet, feminist, and human rights activist.
The Naqvi surname has also been associated with various places in the Indian subcontinent, such as Naqvi Tola in Bihar, India, and Naqvi Mohalla in Lahore, Pakistan, suggesting the historical presence and influence of the Naqvi clan in these areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Naqvi
Among Census respondents with the surname Naqvi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and White (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Naqvi 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 Naqvi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander90.2% · 2,711
- Two or more races4.7% · 141
- White3.9% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 24
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Naqvi
Naqvi 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
#15,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,922
+1,010 bearers (+110.7%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 10,188 places
2020
#10,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,005
+1,083 bearers (+56.3%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 5,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,466 | 912 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,278 | 1,922 | 0.65 | +1,010 bearers (+110.7%) | Up 10,188 places |
| 2020 | #10,209 | 3,005 | 1.01 | +1,083 bearers (+56.3%) | Up 5,069 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 Naqvi 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 | #15,278 | #10,209 | 33.2% |
| Count | 1,922 | 3,005 | 56.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 1.01 | 54.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Naqvi bearers went from 1,922 to 3,005 (+56.3% change). The surname moved up 5,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,278 to #10,209.
FAQ
Naqvi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Naqvi?
Name Census estimates that about 3,446 living Americans carry the surname Naqvi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,464 residents.
How common is Naqvi?
Naqvi ranks #10,209 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,005 people with the surname Naqvi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,446), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Naqvi.
Has Naqvi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Naqvi went from 1,922 recorded bearers to 3,005. That is an increase of 1,083 (+56.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,278 to #10,209.
What does the Census say about the background of Naqvi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Naqvi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and White (3.9%). 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 Naqvi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (2,711 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Naqvi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (90.2%), Two or More Races (4.7%), White (3.9%). 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 Naqvi (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 Naqvi mean?
An honorific title used by descendants of Prophet Muhammad's clan. 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 Naqvi (1.01 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 are called Naqvi?
Want to know how many people are called Naqvi? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.