2000
#28,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 776
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Rare Last name
Samad
An Arabic surname meaning "eternal" or "everlasting".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,658 Americans carry the last name Samad. That puts it at #18,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 206,728 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Samad 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 Samad with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.7K
1 in 206,728
Census rank
#18,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,446 bearers of the surname Samad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Samad, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (24.1%) and Black (12.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Samad
The surname "SAMAD" is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in the regions of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It is derived from the Arabic word "samad," which means "eternal" or "everlasting." The name has a significant connection to Islamic culture and religious beliefs.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "SAMAD" can be traced back to the 9th century CE, during the Islamic Golden Age. It is mentioned in various historical manuscripts and records from that period, often associated with scholars, poets, and religious figures. One notable example is the Persian poet and philosopher Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, also known as Rhazes (865-925 CE), who is renowned for his contributions to the fields of medicine and philosophy.
In the 11th century, the surname "SAMAD" appears in the writings of the renowned Persian polymath, Al-Biruni (973-1048 CE), who documented the cultures and traditions of various regions in his scholarly works. This suggests that the name had gained prominence and recognition during that time.
As Islam spread across different regions, the surname "SAMAD" also found its way into various parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is believed that the name was carried by scholars, traders, and travelers who played a significant role in the dissemination of Islamic culture and knowledge.
One notable historical figure with the surname "SAMAD" was Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani (1314-1384 CE), a renowned Sufi scholar and saint from Kashmir. He is credited with playing a crucial role in the spread of Islam in the region and is revered by both Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Another prominent individual with the surname "SAMAD" was Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa (1857-1931 CE), a renowned Urdu novelist and scholar from British India. His novel "Umrao Jaan Ada" is considered a classic in Urdu literature and has been adapted into several films and television series.
In more recent times, the surname "SAMAD" has continued to be associated with scholars, writers, and intellectuals from various parts of the world. For example, Nureddin Sabir Samad (1927-2003 CE) was a prominent Turkish scholar and author who wrote extensively on Islamic philosophy and mysticism.
The surname "SAMAD" has also been associated with places and locations, particularly in regions with significant Muslim populations. For instance, there is a town called "Samad" in the Chabahar County of Iran, and another village by the same name in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.
Overall, the surname "SAMAD" has a rich historical background, rooted in Islamic culture and tradition. It has been carried by notable scholars, poets, and intellectuals throughout the centuries, reflecting the enduring nature of the name's meaning – "eternal" or "everlasting."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Samad
Among Census respondents with the surname Samad, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (24.1%) and Black (12.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Samad 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 Samad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander52.2% · 755
- White24.1% · 348
- Black or African American12.7% · 184
- Two or more races6.7% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Samad
Samad 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
#21,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,185
+409 bearers (+52.7%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Up 6,944 places
2020
#18,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,446
+261 bearers (+22.0%)
Per 100,000 0.48
Rank movement Up 3,092 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,856 | 776 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #21,912 | 1,185 | 0.40 | +409 bearers (+52.7%) | Up 6,944 places |
| 2020 | #18,820 | 1,446 | 0.48 | +261 bearers (+22.0%) | Up 3,092 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 Samad 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 | #21,912 | #18,820 | 14.1% |
| Count | 1,185 | 1,446 | 22.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.40 | 0.48 | 20.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Samad bearers went from 1,185 to 1,446 (+22.0% change). The surname moved up 3,092 positions in the national ranking, going from #21,912 to #18,820.
FAQ
Samad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Samad?
Name Census estimates that about 1,658 living Americans carry the surname Samad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 206,728 residents.
How common is Samad?
Samad ranks #18,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.48 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 1,446 people with the surname Samad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.48 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 Samad.
Has Samad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Samad went from 1,185 recorded bearers to 1,446. That is an increase of 261 (+22.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #21,912 to #18,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Samad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Samad, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 52.2%. The next largest groups are White (24.1%) and Black (12.7%). 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 Samad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.2% (755 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Samad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (52.2%), White (24.1%), Black (12.7%). 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 Samad (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 Samad mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "eternal" or "everlasting". 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 Samad (0.48 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 Samad?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.