2000
#10,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,851
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Shaheen
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "royal white falcon," often referring to a master falconer or one who hunts with falcons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,408 Americans carry the last name Shaheen. That puts it at #8,258 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,757 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shaheen 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 Shaheen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,757
Census rank
#8,258
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,844 bearers of the surname Shaheen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8258th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaheen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shaheen
The surname Shaheen has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "shaheen," which means "falcon" or "peregrine falcon." This name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions with significant Arab influence, such as the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and parts of Western Asia.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Shaheen can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries. During this time, many Arab scholars, poets, and warriors adopted surnames or titles that reflected their personal attributes, occupations, or connections to nature.
One of the earliest known references to the name Shaheen can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab poet and philosopher Al-Mutanabbi, who lived from 915 to 965 AD. In his poetry, he frequently used the metaphor of the falcon to symbolize strength, courage, and nobility.
In the 12th century, the name Shaheen gained prominence during the Ayyubid Dynasty, which ruled parts of the Middle East, including Syria, Egypt, and Yemen. Several notable figures from this period bore the surname, such as Saladin's nephew, Shaheen Al-Din, who served as a military commander and governor.
As the Arab world expanded through conquests and trade, the surname Shaheen spread to various regions, including parts of Europe, South Asia, and North Africa. In the 14th century, records from the Ottoman Empire mention a Turkish-Arab poet and scholar named Shaheen Al-Hafez, who was celebrated for his literary works.
One of the most famous historical figures with the surname Shaheen was the 16th-century Ottoman Grand Vizier, Shaheen Pasha. He played a crucial role in the Ottoman Empire's military campaigns and was known for his strategic prowess and leadership.
In the 19th century, the Shaheen family gained prominence in the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in regions like Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Ahmed Shaheen, a renowned poet and scholar from Yemen, lived during this period and contributed significantly to the preservation of Arabic literature and culture.
As people migrated and settled in different parts of the world, the surname Shaheen became more widespread. Prominent individuals with this surname include Shaheen Sardar Ali, a Pakistani politician and former member of the National Assembly, and Shaheen Bagh, an Indian-American actress known for her roles in Bollywood films.
While the surname Shaheen has a rich history rooted in the Arab world, it has since been adopted by people of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, reflecting the diversity and global reach of this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaheen
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaheen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Shaheen 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 Shaheen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 2,824
- Asian and Pacific Islander21.2% · 816
- Two or more races2.3% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 87
- Black or African American0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shaheen
Shaheen 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
#9,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,440
+589 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 892 places
2020
#8,258
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,844
+404 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 1,200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,350 | 2,851 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,458 | 3,440 | 1.17 | +589 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 892 places |
| 2020 | #8,258 | 3,844 | 1.29 | +404 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 1,200 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 Shaheen 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 | #9,458 | #8,258 | 12.7% |
| Count | 3,440 | 3,844 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.29 | 9.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shaheen bearers went from 3,440 to 3,844 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 1,200 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,458 to #8,258.
FAQ
Shaheen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shaheen?
Name Census estimates that about 4,408 living Americans carry the surname Shaheen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,757 residents.
How common is Shaheen?
Shaheen ranks #8,258 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,844 people with the surname Shaheen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,408), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Shaheen.
Has Shaheen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shaheen went from 3,440 recorded bearers to 3,844. That is an increase of 404 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,458 to #8,258.
What does the Census say about the background of Shaheen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaheen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Shaheen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (2,824 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shaheen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (21.2%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Shaheen (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 Shaheen mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "royal white falcon," often referring to a master falconer or one who hunts with falcons. 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 Shaheen (1.29 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 share the surname Shaheen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.