2000
#7,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,173
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.55
Uncommon Last name
Omar
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "flourishing," "long-lived," or "eloquent."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,113 Americans carry the last name Omar. That puts it at #3,062 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,139 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Omar 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 Omar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,139
Census rank
#3,062
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,435 bearers of the surname Omar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3062nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Omar, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (28.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Omar
The surname Omar has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is believed to have first emerged in the Middle East region during the early centuries of the Islamic era.
Omar is derived from the Arabic word 'Amir', which translates to 'prince' or 'commander'. It was initially used as a title or honorific for individuals of high status and authority within Arab societies.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Omar can be found in ancient Arabic manuscripts and chronicles, dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries CE. One notable example is the mention of Omar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate, who ruled from 634 to 644 CE.
As the Islamic faith and Arabic culture spread across the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe, the name Omar became more widely adopted as a surname. It is thought to have first appeared in regions such as present-day Syria, Iraq, and Egypt.
Over time, variations of the name emerged, including Omer, Umar, and Umair, reflecting regional linguistic differences and dialects. Some of these variations can be traced back to place names or geographic locations where the surname was prevalent.
Notable historical figures who bore the surname Omar include:
1. Omar Khayyam (1048-1131 CE), a Persian mathematician, astronomer, and poet renowned for his literary works, including the Rubaiyat.
2. Omar ibn Said (1770-1864), a West African Muslim scholar and autobiographer who was enslaved and brought to the United States.
3. Omar Mukhtar (1858-1931), a Libyan revolutionary and prominent leader in the resistance against Italian colonization.
4. Omar Sharif (1932-2015), an Egyptian actor best known for his roles in films such as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Doctor Zhivago".
5. Omar Torrijos (1929-1981), a Panamanian military leader and former President of Panama.
The surname Omar has maintained a strong presence across various regions and cultures influenced by the Arabic language and Islamic traditions. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle East, it has since become a global surname, reflecting the spread of Arabic culture and the widespread adoption of Islamic names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Omar
Among Census respondents with the surname Omar, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (28.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Omar 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 Omar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American54.4% · 6,219
- White28.3% · 3,236
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.4% · 966
- Two or more races4.9% · 558
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 418
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Omar
Omar 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
#4,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,660
+3,487 bearers (+83.6%)
Per 100,000 2.60
Rank movement Up 2,727 places
2020
#3,062
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,435
+3,775 bearers (+49.3%)
Per 100,000 3.83
Rank movement Up 1,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,358 | 4,173 | 1.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,631 | 7,660 | 2.60 | +3,487 bearers (+83.6%) | Up 2,727 places |
| 2020 | #3,062 | 11,435 | 3.83 | +3,775 bearers (+49.3%) | Up 1,569 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 Omar 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 | #4,631 | #3,062 | 33.9% |
| Count | 7,660 | 11,435 | 49.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.60 | 3.83 | 47.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Omar bearers went from 7,660 to 11,435 (+49.3% change). The surname moved up 1,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,631 to #3,062.
FAQ
Omar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Omar?
Name Census estimates that about 13,113 living Americans carry the surname Omar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,139 residents.
How common is Omar?
Omar ranks #3,062 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,435 people with the surname Omar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,113), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Omar.
Has Omar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Omar went from 7,660 recorded bearers to 11,435. That is an increase of 3,775 (+49.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,631 to #3,062.
What does the Census say about the background of Omar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Omar, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.4%. The next largest groups are White (28.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Omar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.4% (6,219 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Omar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (54.4%), White (28.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.4%). 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 Omar (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 Omar mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "flourishing," "long-lived," or "eloquent." 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 Omar (3.83 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 Omar?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Omar, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.