2000
#61,713
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.11
Very Rare Last name
Shalhoub
An Arabic surname meaning either "born of a prominent family" or "follower of the spiritual path."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 416 Americans carry the last name Shalhoub. That puts it at #60,024 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 823,929 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shalhoub 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
416
1 in 823,929
Census rank
#60,024
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
363
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 363 bearers of the surname Shalhoub in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 60024th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shalhoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shalhoub
The surname SHALHOUB is of Arabic origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle East and North Africa regions in the medieval era. The name is believed to have originated from the Arabic word "shalhub," which means "fox-like" or "cunning." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been known for their shrewd or clever dispositions.
One of the earliest known references to the SHALHOUB name can be found in historical records from Lebanon and Syria, where it was commonly used among Arabic-speaking communities during the 12th and 13th centuries. The variations in spelling, such as "Shalhoob" and "Shalhub," were common due to the lack of standardized orthography in that era.
In the 14th century, the SHALHOUB name gained prominence in the city of Tripoli, located in modern-day Lebanon. Historical documents from this period mention a prominent merchant and landowner named Ahmad SHALHOUB, who was known for his successful trading ventures and philanthropic endeavors.
As the SHALHOUB family continued to expand and migrate across the region, the name also became associated with various place names. For instance, the town of Shalhoubiyya in Lebanon is believed to have been named after a branch of the SHALHOUB family that settled there in the 16th century.
Among the notable individuals who bore the SHALHOUB surname throughout history are:
1. Khalil SHALHOUB (1878-1952), a renowned Lebanese poet and writer who was instrumental in promoting the revival of Arabic literature during the Nahda (Renaissance) period.
2. Yousef SHALHOUB (1901-1979), a Syrian-born architect who designed several iconic buildings in Beirut, including the famous Ritz Hotel.
3. Hanan SHALHOUB (1923-2010), a Palestinian activist and author who wrote extensively about the struggles of Palestinian refugees and advocated for their rights.
4. Tony SHALHOUB (born 1953), an award-winning American actor of Lebanese descent, best known for his roles in television series such as "Monk" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
5. Nabil SHALHOUB (born 1967), a prominent Syrian businessman and philanthropist who has been actively involved in humanitarian efforts in the region.
While the SHALHOUB name has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread across the globe, with descendants of the original families residing in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shalhoub
Among Census respondents with the surname Shalhoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Shalhoub 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 Shalhoub surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 334
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 17
- Two or more races2.8% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shalhoub
Shalhoub 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
#58,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 345
+41 bearers (+13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 2,978 places
2020
#60,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 363
+18 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 1,289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #61,713 | 304 | 0.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,735 | 345 | 0.12 | +41 bearers (+13.5%) | Up 2,978 places |
| 2020 | #60,024 | 363 | 0.12 | +18 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 1,289 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 Shalhoub 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 | #58,735 | #60,024 | -2.2% |
| Count | 345 | 363 | 5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shalhoub bearers went from 345 to 363 (+5.2% change). The surname moved down 1,289 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,735 to #60,024.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shalhoub
FAQ
Shalhoub surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shalhoub?
Name Census estimates that about 416 living Americans carry the surname Shalhoub. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 823,929 residents.
How common is Shalhoub?
Shalhoub ranks #60,024 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 363 people with the surname Shalhoub. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (416), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Shalhoub.
Has Shalhoub become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shalhoub went from 345 recorded bearers to 363. That is an increase of 18 (+5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #58,735 to #60,024.
What does the Census say about the background of Shalhoub?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shalhoub, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Shalhoub in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (334 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shalhoub appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Shalhoub (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 Shalhoub mean?
An Arabic surname meaning either "born of a prominent family" or "follower of the spiritual path." 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 Shalhoub (0.12 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 Shalhoub?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.