2000
#31,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.26
Rare Last name
Nawaz
A surname potentially derived from the Arabic term "navvaz" meaning generous or opulent.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,143 Americans carry the last name Nawaz. That puts it at #15,142 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nawaz 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 Nawaz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,941
Census rank
#15,142
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,869 bearers of the surname Nawaz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15142nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nawaz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nawaz
The surname "NAWAZ" is of Arabic origin and can be traced back to the 7th century CE. It is derived from the Arabic word "nawwaz," which means "one who bestows favors" or "one who is generous." The name is believed to have originated in the Arabian Peninsula, where it was likely used as a descriptive nickname or title for individuals who were known for their generosity and charitable nature.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "NAWAZ" can be found in historical manuscripts and records from the medieval Islamic world. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Abu Nawwaz al-Khurasani, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in Khurasan (present-day Iran and Afghanistan) during the 9th century CE.
During the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258 CE), the name gained prominence as it was adopted by several prominent individuals, including Nawaz al-Din al-Baghdadi, a renowned jurist and scholar who lived in Baghdad during the 12th century. Another notable figure was Nawaz Khan, a military commander who served under the Mughal Empire in the 16th century.
As the Islamic empires expanded, the name "NAWAZ" spread throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and South Asia. In India, the name became particularly prevalent among Muslims, and it can be found in various historical records and documents from the Mughal period (1526-1857 CE).
One of the most famous individuals with the surname "NAWAZ" was Nawab Saadat Ali Khan II (1752-1838), the Nawab of Awadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India). He was a prominent patron of the arts and architecture, and his reign is celebrated for the construction of numerous notable buildings, including the Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow.
Another notable figure was Nawaz Ismail Khan (1819-1876), a military commander and governor of the Sikh Empire in the 19th century. He played a crucial role in the First Anglo-Sikh War and was known for his bravery and leadership skills.
In more recent times, Nawaz Sharif (born 1949), a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has brought widespread recognition to the surname "NAWAZ." He served three non-consecutive terms as the Prime Minister and is known for his efforts to promote democracy and economic reforms in Pakistan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nawaz
Among Census respondents with the surname Nawaz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Nawaz 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 Nawaz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.5% · 1,654
- White4.8% · 90
- Two or more races4.1% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 35
- Black or African American0.7% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nawaz
Nawaz 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
#21,599
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,208
+505 bearers (+71.8%)
Per 100,000 0.41
Rank movement Up 9,603 places
2020
#15,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,869
+661 bearers (+54.7%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 6,457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #31,202 | 703 | 0.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,599 | 1,208 | 0.41 | +505 bearers (+71.8%) | Up 9,603 places |
| 2020 | #15,142 | 1,869 | 0.63 | +661 bearers (+54.7%) | Up 6,457 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 Nawaz 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 | #21,599 | #15,142 | 29.9% |
| Count | 1,208 | 1,869 | 54.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.41 | 0.63 | 52.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nawaz bearers went from 1,208 to 1,869 (+54.7% change). The surname moved up 6,457 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,599 to #15,142.
FAQ
Nawaz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nawaz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,143 living Americans carry the surname Nawaz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,941 residents.
How common is Nawaz?
Nawaz ranks #15,142 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,869 people with the surname Nawaz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,143), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Nawaz.
Has Nawaz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nawaz went from 1,208 recorded bearers to 1,869. That is an increase of 661 (+54.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,599 to #15,142.
What does the Census say about the background of Nawaz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nawaz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nawaz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,654 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nawaz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.5%), White (4.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Nawaz (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 Nawaz mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Arabic term "navvaz" meaning generous or opulent. 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 Nawaz (0.63 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 Nawaz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Nawaz is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.