2000
#26,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 883
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Riaz
An Arabic surname meaning "gardens" or "meadows".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,348 Americans carry the last name Riaz. That puts it at #14,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Riaz 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 Riaz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 145,977
Census rank
#14,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,048 bearers of the surname Riaz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Riaz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Riaz
The surname RIAZ has its origins in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Pakistan. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century.
RIAZ is derived from the Arabic word "riyad," which means "gardens" or "meadows." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in or were connected to areas known for their lush greenery and agricultural lands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name RIAZ can be found in the historical records of the Mughal Empire, which ruled over vast territories in the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century. During this period, the name was often used as a locational surname, indicating a person's place of origin or residence.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name RIAZ was Riaz-ud-Din Quli Khan, a prominent military commander and statesman who served under the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. His exploits and contributions to the empire were documented in various court chronicles and historical texts.
Another historical figure with the surname RIAZ was Hafiz Muhammad Riaz, a renowned Sufi poet and scholar who lived in the 18th century. His poetic works, which often explored themes of spirituality and divine love, gained widespread acclaim and are still studied and appreciated today.
During the 19th century, the name RIAZ was also associated with the city of Riyazpur, a historical town located in the present-day Pakistani province of Punjab. It is believed that some individuals from this region adopted the surname RIAZ as a means of identifying their place of origin.
One notable bearer of the name from this era was Sir Muhammad Riaz, a prominent landowner and politician who played a significant role in the independence movement of British India. He was born in 1875 and served as a member of the Legislative Council of Punjab.
In more recent times, the surname RIAZ has been carried by several influential figures, such as Imran Riaz Khan, a Pakistani journalist and political commentator known for his outspoken views on current affairs. Additionally, Saba Riaz, a talented Pakistani cricketer, has represented her country in various international tournaments.
While the name RIAZ has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has since been adopted by individuals of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultural exchange and migration across different regions of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Riaz
Among Census respondents with the surname Riaz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Riaz 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 Riaz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.9% · 1,779
- White5.1% · 104
- Two or more races3.6% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 70
- Black or African American1.0% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Riaz
Riaz 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
#19,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,397
+514 bearers (+58.2%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 6,714 places
2020
#14,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
+651 bearers (+46.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 5,288 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,078 | 883 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,364 | 1,397 | 0.47 | +514 bearers (+58.2%) | Up 6,714 places |
| 2020 | #14,076 | 2,048 | 0.69 | +651 bearers (+46.6%) | Up 5,288 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 Riaz 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 | #19,364 | #14,076 | 27.3% |
| Count | 1,397 | 2,048 | 46.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.69 | 45.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Riaz bearers went from 1,397 to 2,048 (+46.6% change). The surname moved up 5,288 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,364 to #14,076.
FAQ
Riaz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Riaz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,348 living Americans carry the surname Riaz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,977 residents.
How common is Riaz?
Riaz ranks #14,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,048 people with the surname Riaz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,348), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Riaz.
Has Riaz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Riaz went from 1,397 recorded bearers to 2,048. That is an increase of 651 (+46.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,364 to #14,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Riaz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Riaz, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Riaz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.9% (1,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Riaz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.9%), White (5.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Riaz (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 Riaz mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "gardens" or "meadows". 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 Riaz (0.69 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 Americans have the surname Riaz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.