2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Raham
A surname referring to a person from the town of Raham in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Raham. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raham 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Raham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raham, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raham
The surname RAHAM originated in the Middle East and is believed to have roots in the Arabic language. It is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "rahm," which means "womb" or "kinship." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were part of a close-knit family or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RAHAM can be found in the writings of the famous Arabic scholar and historian, Ibn Khaldun, who lived from 1332 to 1406. In his writings, he mentions a family with the surname RAHAM who hailed from the city of Damascus in present-day Syria.
During the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over much of the Middle East from the 14th to the early 20th century, the surname RAHAM was prevalent among Turkish and Arab communities. Records from this period show that the name was often associated with influential families and individuals who held positions of power and influence.
One notable figure with the surname RAHAM was Mustafa Raham Pasha (1635-1704), a prominent Ottoman statesman and military leader. He served as the Grand Vizier, the highest-ranking political and military officer in the Ottoman Empire, from 1683 to 1687.
Another prominent individual with the surname RAHAM was Abdallah Raham (1870-1946), a renowned Egyptian writer and poet. He was known for his contributions to the literary renaissance in Egypt during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname RAHAM began to appear in various parts of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in regions such as Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is believed that this spread was due to the migration of families and individuals from the Levant region (present-day Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine) to the Arabian Peninsula.
One notable figure from this period was Ahmed Raham (1810-1888), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He was known for his charitable works and contributions to the local community.
In the 20th century, the surname RAHAM continued to be found in various Middle Eastern countries, as well as among Arab communities in other parts of the world. One notable individual with this surname was Salim Raham (1925-2002), a prominent Palestinian writer and journalist who lived and worked in Lebanon.
Overall, the surname RAHAM has a rich history and cultural significance in the Middle East, reflecting the region's linguistic and cultural diversity. While the name has spread to other parts of the world, its roots can be traced back to the Arabic-speaking communities of the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raham
Among Census respondents with the surname Raham, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%) and Hispanic (7.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Raham 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 Raham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White58.3% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander23.3% · 28
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 9
- Black or African American5.0% · 6
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raham
Raham 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,674 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+14 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,720 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,674 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 11,720 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 Raham 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 | #153,769 | #142,049 | 7.6% |
| Count | 106 | 120 | 13.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raham bearers went from 106 to 120 (+13.2% change). The surname moved up 11,720 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #142,049.
FAQ
Raham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raham?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Raham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Raham?
Raham ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Raham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Raham.
Has Raham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raham went from 106 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 14 (+13.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Raham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raham, the largest self-reported group is White at 58.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%) and Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Raham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.3% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (58.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (23.3%), Hispanic (7.5%). 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 Raham (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 Raham mean?
A surname referring to a person from the town of Raham in Germany. 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 Raham (0.04 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 last name Raham?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Raham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.