2000
#14,995
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,809
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Saliba
A Maltese surname possibly derived from the Arabic word "salib" meaning "cross", referring to a crucifix or cross-bearer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,400 Americans carry the last name Saliba. That puts it at #13,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,814 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Saliba 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 Saliba with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 142,814
Census rank
#13,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,093 bearers of the surname Saliba in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Saliba, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Saliba
The surname Saliba has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in regions like Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It is derived from the Arabic word "saliba," which means "cross" or "crucifix."
This surname is thought to have emerged during the time of the Crusades, when Muslim and Christian encounters were prevalent in the region. One theory suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who converted to Christianity and adopted the symbol of the cross, leading to the surname Saliba.
Historical records indicate that the Saliba surname was present in various parts of the Middle East during the medieval period. Some of the earliest documented instances of this surname can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in regions like Lebanon and Syria.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Saliba surname was Niqula Saliba, a Lebanese scholar and philosopher who lived from 1540 to 1614. He was known for his contributions to the study of logic and metaphysics.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Elias Saliba, a Lebanese-American scholar and author who lived from 1941 to 2008. He was a renowned expert on Middle Eastern studies and wrote extensively on topics related to the Arab world.
In the realm of literature, Rashid Saliba Al-Khuri, a Lebanese writer and poet, gained recognition for his works in the 19th century. He was born in 1836 and passed away in 1891.
The Saliba surname has also been linked to various place names in the Middle East, such as the village of Saliba in Lebanon, which may have influenced the origin and spread of this surname in the region.
Throughout history, individuals with the Saliba surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including academia, literature, and philosophy. While the exact origins of this surname may be shrouded in the mists of time, its roots can be traced back to the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Middle East.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Saliba
Among Census respondents with the surname Saliba, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Saliba 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 Saliba surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 1,812
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 89
- Two or more races2.6% · 55
- Black or African American1.9% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Saliba
Saliba 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
#13,509
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,245
+436 bearers (+24.1%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 1,486 places
2020
#13,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,093
-152 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,995 | 1,809 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,509 | 2,245 | 0.76 | +436 bearers (+24.1%) | Up 1,486 places |
| 2020 | #13,826 | 2,093 | 0.70 | -152 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 317 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 Saliba 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 | #13,509 | #13,826 | -2.3% |
| Count | 2,245 | 2,093 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.70 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Saliba bearers went from 2,245 to 2,093 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 317 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,509 to #13,826.
FAQ
Saliba surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Saliba?
Name Census estimates that about 2,400 living Americans carry the surname Saliba. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,814 residents.
How common is Saliba?
Saliba ranks #13,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,093 people with the surname Saliba. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,400), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Saliba.
Has Saliba become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Saliba went from 2,245 recorded bearers to 2,093. That is a decrease of 152 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,509 to #13,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Saliba?
Among Census respondents with the surname Saliba, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Saliba in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (1,812 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Saliba appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Saliba (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 Saliba mean?
A Maltese surname possibly derived from the Arabic word "salib" meaning "cross", referring to a crucifix or cross-bearer. 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 Saliba (0.70 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 Saliba?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.