2000
#19,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,254
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Nasir
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "helper" or "protector," derived from the Arabic word "nasr" meaning "victory."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,582 Americans carry the last name Nasir. That puts it at #9,876 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,688 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nasir 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 Nasir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,688
Census rank
#9,876
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,124 bearers of the surname Nasir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9876th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nasir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and White (14.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nasir
The surname Nasir has its origins in the Arabic language, where it is a descriptive name meaning "the helper" or "the victorious one." The name can be traced back to the Middle Eastern region, particularly the Arabian Peninsula, during the early Islamic period around the 7th century AD.
As the Islamic faith spread across the Middle East and beyond, the name Nasir became more widespread. It was adopted by individuals who embraced Islam or had ancestors who converted to the religion. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Nasir can be found in historical documents and manuscripts from the region.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Nasir was Abu al-Nasr al-Farabi, a renowned philosopher, logician, and scientist born in modern-day Kazakhstan around 870 AD. He made significant contributions to the fields of logic, metaphysics, and music theory, and his works had a profound influence on the development of Islamic and Western philosophy.
Another prominent individual with the surname Nasir was Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, a Persian polymath born in Tus, Iran, in 1201 AD. He was a renowned scholar, astronomer, and mathematician who made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy, geometry, and theology. His works, including the influential astronomical treatise "Zij-i Ilkhani," had a lasting impact on the scientific community of his time.
In the Indian subcontinent, the surname Nasir gained prominence during the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire periods. One notable figure was Nasir Khan, a military commander and governor who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. He played a crucial role in the conquest and administration of various regions during Akbar's reign.
The surname Nasir has also been associated with other historical figures, such as Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, the ruler of Persia (modern-day Iran) from 1848 to 1896. He oversaw significant reforms and modernization efforts during his reign, including the establishment of the first modern university in Iran.
In more recent times, the surname Nasir has been carried by individuals from various parts of the world, including the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It has been adopted by people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the widespread influence of the Arabic language and the Islamic faith throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nasir
Among Census respondents with the surname Nasir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and White (14.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nasir 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 Nasir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander64.7% · 2,021
- Black or African American15.1% · 473
- White14.8% · 463
- Two or more races3.6% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino1.5% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nasir
Nasir 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
#13,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,185
+931 bearers (+74.2%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 6,006 places
2020
#9,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,124
+939 bearers (+43.0%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Up 3,958 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,840 | 1,254 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,834 | 2,185 | 0.74 | +931 bearers (+74.2%) | Up 6,006 places |
| 2020 | #9,876 | 3,124 | 1.05 | +939 bearers (+43.0%) | Up 3,958 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 Nasir 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 | #13,834 | #9,876 | 28.6% |
| Count | 2,185 | 3,124 | 43.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 1.05 | 41.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nasir bearers went from 2,185 to 3,124 (+43.0% change). The surname moved up 3,958 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,834 to #9,876.
FAQ
Nasir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nasir?
Name Census estimates that about 3,582 living Americans carry the surname Nasir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,688 residents.
How common is Nasir?
Nasir ranks #9,876 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,124 people with the surname Nasir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,582), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Nasir.
Has Nasir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nasir went from 2,185 recorded bearers to 3,124. That is an increase of 939 (+43.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,834 to #9,876.
What does the Census say about the background of Nasir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nasir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 64.7%. The next largest groups are Black (15.1%) and White (14.8%). 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 Nasir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.7% (2,021 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nasir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (64.7%), Black (15.1%), White (14.8%). 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 Nasir (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 Nasir mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "helper" or "protector," derived from the Arabic word "nasr" meaning "victory." 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 Nasir (1.05 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 Nasir?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Nasir is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.