2000
#35,053
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Rare Last name
Raad
An ethnic surname of Arabic origin meaning "thunder" or "wise counsel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,162 Americans carry the last name Raad. That puts it at #25,537 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 294,969 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raad 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.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 294,969
Census rank
#25,537
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,013 bearers of the surname Raad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25537th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raad, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raad
The surname RAAD is of Dutch origin, stemming from the Middle Dutch word "raad," which means "advice" or "counsel." This name likely originated in the Netherlands during the medieval period, suggesting a connection to individuals who served in an advisory or counseling capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the RAAD surname can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the records of the city of Utrecht. During this time, surnames were still in the process of becoming hereditary, and RAAD may have initially been an occupational surname for those who provided counsel or served as advisors.
In the 14th century, the RAAD surname was also found in the records of the city of Leiden, further solidifying its Dutch roots. Some variations in spelling, such as "Raedt" and "Radt," were common during this period due to the lack of standardized orthography.
A notable figure bearing the RAAD surname was Johannes Rademaker (c. 1443-1519), a Dutch Catholic priest and theologian who served as the rector of the University of Louvain. His last name, "Rademaker," is believed to be a variant of RAAD, suggesting a connection to the same linguistic origin.
In the 16th century, the RAAD surname appeared in the records of the Dutch East India Company, indicating that individuals with this name may have been involved in the early Dutch exploration and colonization efforts. One such individual was Jan Raad (c. 1570-1638), a Dutch merchant who was part of the early Dutch settlement in present-day Indonesia.
Another prominent figure with the RAAD surname was Petrus Rademaker (1706-1773), a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the development of calculus and made significant advancements in the study of planetary motion.
As the Dutch diaspora spread across the globe, the RAAD surname traveled with them. In the 19th century, individuals with the RAAD surname were found in Dutch settlements in South Africa, where the name likely underwent further variations in spelling and pronunciation due to the influence of other languages.
While the RAAD surname has its roots firmly planted in the Netherlands, it has since become a global name, carried by individuals of Dutch descent in various parts of the world, each with their own unique stories and contributions to history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raad
Among Census respondents with the surname Raad, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Raad 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 Raad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 855
- Hispanic or Latino9.0% · 91
- Two or more races3.3% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 21
- Black or African American1.1% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raad
Raad 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
#30,139
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 778
+169 bearers (+27.8%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 4,914 places
2020
#25,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,013
+235 bearers (+30.2%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 4,602 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,053 | 609 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,139 | 778 | 0.26 | +169 bearers (+27.8%) | Up 4,914 places |
| 2020 | #25,537 | 1,013 | 0.34 | +235 bearers (+30.2%) | Up 4,602 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 Raad 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 | #30,139 | #25,537 | 15.3% |
| Count | 778 | 1,013 | 30.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.26 | 0.34 | 30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raad bearers went from 778 to 1,013 (+30.2% change). The surname moved up 4,602 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,139 to #25,537.
FAQ
Raad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raad?
Name Census estimates that about 1,162 living Americans carry the surname Raad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 294,969 residents.
How common is Raad?
Raad ranks #25,537 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,013 people with the surname Raad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,162), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Raad.
Has Raad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raad went from 778 recorded bearers to 1,013. That is an increase of 235 (+30.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #30,139 to #25,537.
What does the Census say about the background of Raad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raad, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Raad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (855 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Hispanic (9.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Raad (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 Raad mean?
An ethnic surname of Arabic origin meaning "thunder" or "wise counsel." 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 Raad (0.34 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 have the surname Raad?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.