2000
#20,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,204
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.45
Rare Last name
Noor
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "light," often referring to the light of God or divine guidance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,281 Americans carry the last name Noor. That puts it at #7,030 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noor 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 Noor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,903
Census rank
#7,030
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,605 bearers of the surname Noor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7030th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and White (9.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noor
The surname "NOOR" is believed to have its origins in the Arabic language, deriving from the word "nur" which means "light" or "radiance". This name is commonly found in regions with significant Muslim populations, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "NOOR" can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the rise of Islam and the spread of Arabic culture and language across the Middle East and North Africa. It is likely that the name was initially adopted by those who embraced Islam and sought names with religious or spiritual connotations.
In the medieval period, the surname "NOOR" appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly those documenting trade and migration patterns in the Islamic world. One notable example is the "Rihla" (travel narrative) of Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan scholar and explorer who journeyed across the Islamic lands in the 14th century.
As the Islamic empires expanded and trade routes flourished, the surname "NOOR" spread across various regions, including parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Over time, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged, such as "NURI" and "NOORI", reflecting the diverse linguistic influences of different regions.
Throughout history, several prominent individuals have borne the surname "NOOR". One noteworthy figure was Noor al-Din Mahmoud Zangi (1118-1174), a renowned Muslim leader and military commander who played a significant role in the Crusades. Another prominent bearer of this name was Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944), a British spy and Special Operations Executive agent during World War II, who was awarded the George Cross for her bravery.
Other notable individuals with the surname "NOOR" include Noor Hussain (1892-1944), a prominent Indian poet and writer known for his contributions to Urdu literature, and Noor Muhammad Kaka Khel (1928-2021), a Pakistani politician and former Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Today, the surname "NOOR" continues to be widely used across various Muslim communities around the world, serving as a reminder of its rich cultural and linguistic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noor
Among Census respondents with the surname Noor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and White (9.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Noor 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 Noor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander46.1% · 2,121
- Black or African American38.1% · 1,756
- White9.8% · 453
- Two or more races4.9% · 226
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noor
Noor 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
#12,192
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,555
+1,351 bearers (+112.2%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 8,292 places
2020
#7,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,605
+2,050 bearers (+80.2%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Up 5,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,484 | 1,204 | 0.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,192 | 2,555 | 0.87 | +1,351 bearers (+112.2%) | Up 8,292 places |
| 2020 | #7,030 | 4,605 | 1.54 | +2,050 bearers (+80.2%) | Up 5,162 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 Noor 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 | #12,192 | #7,030 | 42.3% |
| Count | 2,555 | 4,605 | 80.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 1.54 | 77.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noor bearers went from 2,555 to 4,605 (+80.2% change). The surname moved up 5,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,192 to #7,030.
FAQ
Noor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noor?
Name Census estimates that about 5,281 living Americans carry the surname Noor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,903 residents.
How common is Noor?
Noor ranks #7,030 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,605 people with the surname Noor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,281), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Noor.
Has Noor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noor went from 2,555 recorded bearers to 4,605. That is an increase of 2,050 (+80.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,192 to #7,030.
What does the Census say about the background of Noor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noor, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 46.1%. The next largest groups are Black (38.1%) and White (9.8%). 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 Noor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.1% (2,121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (46.1%), Black (38.1%), White (9.8%). 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 Noor (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 Noor mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "light," often referring to the light of God or divine guidance. 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 Noor (1.54 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 Noor?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.