2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Saikali
From the Arabic surname meaning "swordsmith" or "sword polisher".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Saikali. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saikali 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Saikali in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saikali, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saikali
The surname SAIKALI is believed to have originated in the Levant region of the Middle East, specifically in modern-day Lebanon. It is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "saikal," which means "one who works with metals" or "metalworker." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who were involved in metalworking professions, such as blacksmiths or armorers.
The earliest known records of the SAIKALI surname can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Mount Lebanon, where it was commonly found among Christian communities. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include entries in church registers and land ownership documents from that period.
One notable individual bearing the SAIKALI surname was Yusuf Saikali, a prominent Lebanese philosopher, and writer who lived in the 19th century (1823-1886). He was known for his contributions to the Nahda, the Arab literary renaissance, and his works exploring themes of identity, modernity, and cultural reform.
Another historically significant figure with the SAIKALI surname was Wadih Saikali (1903-1985), a Lebanese-American engineer and businessman. He played a crucial role in the development of the oil industry in Saudi Arabia and was instrumental in the construction of the Trans-Arabian Pipeline, which facilitated the transportation of oil from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean.
In the 20th century, the SAIKALI surname gained recognition through the accomplishments of figures like Mounir Saikali (1927-2020), a renowned Lebanese-American architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design of several iconic buildings in Beirut, including the iconic Holiday Inn Hotel and the Murr Tower.
The SAIKALI surname has also been associated with literary figures, such as Bassam Saikali, a Lebanese novelist, and playwright. His works often explore themes of identity, exile, and the complexities of human relationships.
While the SAIKALI surname is most commonly found in Lebanon and among Lebanese diaspora communities, it has also been carried by individuals in other parts of the Middle East, as well as in Europe and the Americas, where Lebanese immigrants have settled over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saikali
Among Census respondents with the surname Saikali, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Saikali 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 Saikali surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saikali
Saikali appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-10 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,045 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 11,045 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 Saikali 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 | #134,712 | #145,757 | -8.2% |
| Count | 125 | 115 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saikali bearers went from 125 to 115 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 11,045 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #145,757.
FAQ
Saikali surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saikali?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Saikali. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Saikali?
Saikali ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Saikali. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Saikali.
Has Saikali become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saikali went from 125 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Saikali?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saikali, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Saikali in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saikali appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Saikali (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 Saikali mean?
From the Arabic surname meaning "swordsmith" or "sword polisher". 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 Saikali (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 surname Saikali?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.