2000
#55,376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 347
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Rare Last name
Qamar
An Arabic surname derived from the word meaning "moon" or "moonlight".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,110 Americans carry the last name Qamar. That puts it at #26,544 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 308,788 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Qamar 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 Qamar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 308,788
Census rank
#26,544
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
968
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 968 bearers of the surname Qamar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26544th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Qamar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Qamar
The surname Qamar has its origins in the Arabic language, tracing its roots back to the Middle East and the Islamic world. It is derived from the Arabic word "qamar," which translates to "moon" or "lunar." This name likely emerged during the height of the Islamic Golden Age, a period spanning from the 8th to the 13th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Qamar can be found in the historical annals of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled a vast empire stretching from North Africa to Central Asia between the 8th and 13th centuries. The name appears in various manuscripts and chronicles from this era, often associated with scholars, poets, and prominent figures of the time.
In the 10th century, a renowned Persian astronomer and mathematician named Abu'l-Wafa' al-Buzjani, whose full name was Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Isma'il al-Qamar al-Buzjani, made significant contributions to the field of trigonometry and the development of astronomical instruments. His works were widely studied and referenced by subsequent generations of scholars.
During the 12th century, a prominent Sufi mystic and poet named Jalaluddin Rumi, whose full name was Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, mentioned the name Qamar in his famous poetic works, such as the Masnavi. Rumi's poetry often drew upon celestial imagery, including references to the moon, which may have been inspired by the name's meaning.
In the 14th century, a Persian scholar and historian named Hamdullah Mustaufi Qazvini, whose full name was Hamdullah ibn Abi Bakr ibn Nasr al-Qamar al-Qazwini, authored a renowned geographical work titled "Nuzhat al-Qulub" (Delight of the Hearts), which provided detailed descriptions of various regions and cities across the Islamic world.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Qamar was Mir Qamaru'd-Din Minai, a 16th-century Persian calligrapher and artist renowned for his intricate and beautiful works of miniature painting and calligraphy. His works are considered masterpieces of the Safavid era and are preserved in various museums and collections around the world.
While the surname Qamar has its roots in the Middle East and the Islamic world, it has since spread to other regions through migration and cultural exchange. Over the centuries, variations in spelling and pronunciation have emerged, reflecting the diverse linguistic and cultural influences encountered by those bearing this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Qamar
Among Census respondents with the surname Qamar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Qamar 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 Qamar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.6% · 809
- White9.1% · 88
- Two or more races3.7% · 36
- Black or African American1.8% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Qamar
Qamar 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
#34,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 665
+318 bearers (+91.6%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 21,227 places
2020
#26,544
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 968
+303 bearers (+45.6%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 7,605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #55,376 | 347 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,149 | 665 | 0.23 | +318 bearers (+91.6%) | Up 21,227 places |
| 2020 | #26,544 | 968 | 0.32 | +303 bearers (+45.6%) | Up 7,605 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 Qamar 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 | #34,149 | #26,544 | 22.3% |
| Count | 665 | 968 | 45.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.32 | 40.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Qamar bearers went from 665 to 968 (+45.6% change). The surname moved up 7,605 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,149 to #26,544.
FAQ
Qamar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Qamar?
Name Census estimates that about 1,110 living Americans carry the surname Qamar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 308,788 residents.
How common is Qamar?
Qamar ranks #26,544 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 968 people with the surname Qamar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,110), 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 Qamar.
Has Qamar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Qamar went from 665 recorded bearers to 968. That is an increase of 303 (+45.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,149 to #26,544.
What does the Census say about the background of Qamar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Qamar, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Qamar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (809 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Qamar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.6%), White (9.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Qamar (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 Qamar mean?
An Arabic surname derived from the word meaning "moon" or "moonlight". 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 Qamar (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 share the surname Qamar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.