2000
#114,166
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Salhany
An Arabic surname meaning watchman, guard, or sentinel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Salhany. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Salhany 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Salhany in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Salhany, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Salhany
The surname SALHANY is of Arabic origin, derived from the Arabic word "salhani" which means "arrow maker" or "fletcher." The name likely originated in the Middle East, particularly in areas where Arabic was the predominant language, such as Syria, Lebanon, and parts of the Levant region.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname SALHANY can be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries in various historical records from the Ottoman Empire and its territories. It is believed that the name was initially associated with individuals or families involved in the profession of arrow making or fletching, a skilled trade that was crucial for supplying archers with high-quality arrows.
One of the earliest known mentions of the SALHANY surname can be found in Ottoman tax records from the late 17th century, where individuals bearing this name were listed as residents of towns and villages in present-day Lebanon and Syria. These records provide valuable insights into the geographical distribution and occupational backgrounds of families with this surname during that time period.
In the 19th century, the SALHANY name gained prominence with the birth of Mikhail Salhany (1825-1892), a renowned Arabic scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of the Arabic language and its literature. Mikhail Salhany was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and his works on Arabic grammar and lexicography were widely acclaimed.
Another notable figure with the SALHANY surname was Elias Salhany (1857-1924), a Lebanese-American writer and journalist who played a pivotal role in establishing the Arabic-language press in the United States. Elias Salhany was born in Beirut and later immigrated to New York City, where he founded several Arabic newspapers and advocated for the interests of the Arabic-speaking community in America.
In the 20th century, George Salhany (1906-1984) gained recognition as a prominent Lebanese-American businessman and philanthropist. Born in Beirut, he later settled in the United States and established successful businesses in the automotive industry. George Salhany was also known for his philanthropic efforts, supporting various educational and cultural initiatives in Lebanon and the United States.
Additionally, the SALHANY surname has been associated with notable figures in the fields of academia, law, and politics. For example, Khalil Salhany (1928-2011) was a distinguished Lebanese-American professor of political science and international relations, who taught at several prestigious universities in the United States.
While the SALHANY surname has its roots in the Arabic-speaking regions of the Middle East, it has since become more widely dispersed due to immigration and the diaspora of Arabic communities around the world. The name continues to be carried by individuals of Arabic descent, serving as a testament to their cultural heritage and lineage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Salhany
Among Census respondents with the surname Salhany, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Salhany 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 Salhany surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 106
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Salhany
Salhany 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-22 bearers (-15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,062 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-8 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,726 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,166 | 142 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-15.5%) | Down 25,062 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 8,726 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 Salhany 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 | #139,228 | #147,954 | -6.3% |
| Count | 120 | 112 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Salhany bearers went from 120 to 112 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 8,726 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #147,954.
FAQ
Salhany surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Salhany?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Salhany. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Salhany?
Salhany ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Salhany. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Salhany.
Has Salhany become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Salhany went from 120 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Salhany?
Among Census respondents with the surname Salhany, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Salhany in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Salhany appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (0.9%). 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 Salhany (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 Salhany mean?
An Arabic surname meaning watchman, guard, or sentinel. 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 Salhany (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 Americans have the surname Salhany?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.