2000
#89,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Rahme
An Arabic surname meaning "mercy" or "compassion".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 287 Americans carry the last name Rahme. That puts it at #81,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,194,266 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rahme 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
287
1 in 1,194,266
Census rank
#81,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
250
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 250 bearers of the surname Rahme in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 81574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rahme, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rahme
The surname RAHME originates from the Arabic-speaking regions of the Middle East, particularly Lebanon and Syria. It can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when the Arab conquests brought Arabic names and language to the region.
The name RAHME is derived from the Arabic word "rahma," which means "mercy" or "compassion." It is believed to have been initially given as a descriptive name or nickname to individuals who exhibited qualities of kindness and generosity.
Early records of the RAHME name can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and chronicles, particularly those documenting the lives of prominent scholars, poets, and religious figures from the region. One notable example is Abul Hassan Ali ibn Rahma al-Rahmi, a renowned 10th-century poet and writer from Damascus.
During the Crusades, the RAHME name appeared in various European records and documents, as many individuals from the Middle East interacted with or were encountered by crusaders and travelers from the West. In the 13th century, a certain Rahme ibn Khalil was mentioned as a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Tripoli, Lebanon.
Throughout the centuries, the RAHME name has been associated with several notable figures, including:
1. Amin Rahme (1888-1968), a Lebanese poet and writer known for his contributions to Arabic literature.
2. Maroun Rahme (1912-1998), a Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Rector of the Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik.
3. Issam Rahme (born 1941), a Syrian-born Lebanese poet and writer, known for his works exploring themes of exile and identity.
4. Samer Rahme (born 1972), a Lebanese-American academic and researcher in the field of microbiology and infectious diseases.
5. Ziad Rahme (born 1965), a Lebanese-born architect and urban planner, known for his work on sustainable urban development projects.
Over time, variations in spelling and pronunciation of the RAHME name have emerged, influenced by regional dialects and languages. Some alternative spellings include Rahmi, Rahmeh, and Rahmeh.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rahme
Among Census respondents with the surname Rahme, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Rahme 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 Rahme surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 224
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 17
- Two or more races3.2% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rahme
Rahme 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
#82,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 230
+39 bearers (+20.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 7,851 places
2020
#81,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
+20 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 470 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #89,895 | 191 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,044 | 230 | 0.08 | +39 bearers (+20.4%) | Up 7,851 places |
| 2020 | #81,574 | 250 | 0.08 | +20 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 470 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 Rahme 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 | #82,044 | #81,574 | 0.6% |
| Count | 230 | 250 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rahme bearers went from 230 to 250 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 470 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,044 to #81,574.
FAQ
Rahme surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rahme?
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the surname Rahme. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,194,266 residents.
How common is Rahme?
Rahme ranks #81,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 250 people with the surname Rahme. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (287), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Rahme.
Has Rahme become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rahme went from 230 recorded bearers to 250. That is an increase of 20 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #82,044 to #81,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Rahme?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rahme, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Rahme in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (224 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rahme appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Rahme (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 Rahme mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "mercy" or "compassion". 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 Rahme (0.08 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 common is the surname Rahme?
Want to know how many people have the last name Rahme? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.