2000
#45,308
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Rare Last name
Qadir
An Arabic surname meaning "mighty" or "powerful".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,086 Americans carry the last name Qadir. That puts it at #27,027 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 315,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Qadir 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 Qadir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 315,612
Census rank
#27,027
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
947
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 947 bearers of the surname Qadir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27027th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Qadir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.0%) and Black (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Qadir
The surname QADIR has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the Middle East and North Africa regions. It is derived from the Arabic word "qadir," which means "powerful" or "capable." The name is closely associated with the Islamic faith and tradition.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname QADIR can be found in historical documents and records from the medieval period, particularly in regions that were under Islamic rule or influence. Some of the earliest references to this surname appear in manuscripts and texts dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname QADIR was Abu Bakr al-Qadir, a prominent Islamic scholar and theologian who lived in the 11th century. He was born in Isfahan, Persia (modern-day Iran) and made significant contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy.
Another prominent individual with the surname QADIR was Al-Qadir Billah, who was the 25th Abbasid caliph and ruled from 991 to 1031 CE. He was born in Baghdad and is known for his efforts to revive the Abbasid caliphate during a time of political turmoil and instability.
In the 13th century, there was a renowned Sufi saint and poet named Abdul Qadir Gilani, who was born in the city of Gilan (modern-day Iran) and founded the Qadiri Sufi order. His teachings and writings had a lasting impact on Islamic spirituality and mysticism.
The name QADIR is also associated with certain place names and regions, such as the city of Qadirpur in Pakistan, which was named after a local ruler or landowner with the surname QADIR. Additionally, there are references to the surname in historical records from regions like modern-day Iran, Iraq, and parts of Central Asia.
Throughout history, there have been many other notable individuals bearing the surname QADIR, including scholars, religious leaders, poets, and rulers. Some examples include Abul Fazl Qadir (a 16th-century Indian historian), Mir Qadir Ali Beg (a 19th-century Mughal nobleman and poet), and Qadir Khan (a 19th-century Afghan ruler).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Qadir
Among Census respondents with the surname Qadir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.0%) and Black (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Qadir 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 Qadir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander68.4% · 648
- White15.0% · 142
- Black or African American8.0% · 76
- Two or more races6.9% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Qadir
Qadir 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
#32,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 703
+258 bearers (+58.0%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 12,632 places
2020
#27,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 947
+244 bearers (+34.7%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 5,649 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,308 | 445 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #32,676 | 703 | 0.24 | +258 bearers (+58.0%) | Up 12,632 places |
| 2020 | #27,027 | 947 | 0.32 | +244 bearers (+34.7%) | Up 5,649 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 Qadir 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 | #32,676 | #27,027 | 17.3% |
| Count | 703 | 947 | 34.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.32 | 32.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Qadir bearers went from 703 to 947 (+34.7% change). The surname moved up 5,649 positions in the national ranking, going from #32,676 to #27,027.
FAQ
Qadir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Qadir?
Name Census estimates that about 1,086 living Americans carry the surname Qadir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 315,612 residents.
How common is Qadir?
Qadir ranks #27,027 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 947 people with the surname Qadir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,086), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Qadir.
Has Qadir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Qadir went from 703 recorded bearers to 947. That is an increase of 244 (+34.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #32,676 to #27,027.
What does the Census say about the background of Qadir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Qadir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (15.0%) and Black (8.0%). 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 Qadir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (648 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Qadir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (68.4%), White (15.0%), Black (8.0%). 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 Qadir (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 Qadir mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "mighty" or "powerful". 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 Qadir (0.32 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 Qadir?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Qadir, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.