2000
#19,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Siddiqi
An Arabic surname indicating descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,034 Americans carry the last name Siddiqi. That puts it at #11,394 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,971 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Siddiqi 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 Siddiqi with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 112,971
Census rank
#11,394
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,646 bearers of the surname Siddiqi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11394th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Siddiqi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and White (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Siddiqi
The surname Siddiqi has its roots in the Arabic language and is derived from the word "Siddiq," which means "truthful" or "sincere." This surname is commonly found among the Muslim communities of South Asia, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It is believed that the name originated during the early Islamic period, when the Arabic language and culture had a significant influence on the region.
The name Siddiqi is often associated with individuals who claim descent from the Prophet Muhammad's closest companion, Abu Bakr Siddiq, who was known for his unwavering truthfulness and loyalty. Abu Bakr Siddiq was the first caliph of the Islamic empire and played a crucial role in the spread of Islam.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Siddiqi can be found in historical texts and manuscripts from the 11th and 12th centuries, during the reign of the Delhi Sultanate in India. These records mention individuals with the surname Siddiqi holding prominent positions in the courts of various sultans and serving as scholars, administrators, and advisors.
During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over vast territories in South Asia from the 16th to the 19th century, the Siddiqi surname gained further prominence. Several notable figures with this surname played significant roles in the cultural, intellectual, and administrative spheres of the Mughal courts.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Siddiqi was Syed Ahmed Siddiqui (1858-1923), a renowned Islamic scholar and reformist from British India. He founded the Aligarh Muslim University, one of the premier educational institutions in the subcontinent, and played a pivotal role in the revival of Islamic education and the propagation of modern educational ideals among Muslims.
Another prominent figure was Syed Ismail Siddiqui (1880-1944), an Indian Muslim philosopher, and theologian who contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time. He was a leading advocate of Islamic modernism and sought to reconcile traditional Islamic teachings with modern scientific thought.
In Pakistan, Syed Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Siddiqi (1938-2009) was a renowned Islamic scholar, historian, and author. He served as the vice-chancellor of the University of Karachi and made significant contributions to the study of Islamic history and culture.
Syed Jamal Siddiqui (1939-2020) was a prominent Indian politician and social activist who served as a member of the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of the Indian Parliament) and worked tirelessly for the rights and welfare of marginalized communities.
Syed Waheed Akhtar Siddiqi (1914-1998) was a pioneering Pakistani engineer and scientist who played a crucial role in the development of Pakistan's nuclear program and is considered the father of Pakistan's industrial development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Siddiqi
Among Census respondents with the surname Siddiqi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and White (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Siddiqi 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 Siddiqi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander85.0% · 2,249
- Two or more races6.9% · 183
- White6.1% · 161
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 28
- Black or African American0.9% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Siddiqi
Siddiqi 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
#15,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,884
+584 bearers (+44.9%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 3,752 places
2020
#11,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,646
+762 bearers (+40.4%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 4,139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,285 | 1,300 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,533 | 1,884 | 0.64 | +584 bearers (+44.9%) | Up 3,752 places |
| 2020 | #11,394 | 2,646 | 0.89 | +762 bearers (+40.4%) | Up 4,139 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 Siddiqi 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 | #15,533 | #11,394 | 26.6% |
| Count | 1,884 | 2,646 | 40.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.89 | 38.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Siddiqi bearers went from 1,884 to 2,646 (+40.4% change). The surname moved up 4,139 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,533 to #11,394.
FAQ
Siddiqi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Siddiqi?
Name Census estimates that about 3,034 living Americans carry the surname Siddiqi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,971 residents.
How common is Siddiqi?
Siddiqi ranks #11,394 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,646 people with the surname Siddiqi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,034), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Siddiqi.
Has Siddiqi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Siddiqi went from 1,884 recorded bearers to 2,646. That is an increase of 762 (+40.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,533 to #11,394.
What does the Census say about the background of Siddiqi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Siddiqi, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and White (6.1%). 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 Siddiqi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (2,249 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Siddiqi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (85.0%), Two or More Races (6.9%), White (6.1%). 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 Siddiqi (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 Siddiqi mean?
An Arabic surname indicating descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad. 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 Siddiqi (0.89 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 common is the surname Siddiqi?
Want to know how many people have the last name Siddiqi? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.