2000
#26,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 885
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Tariq
An Arabic surname meaning the conquerer or the morning star.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,838 Americans carry the last name Tariq. That puts it at #9,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tariq 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 Tariq with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,305
Census rank
#9,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,347 bearers of the surname Tariq in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tariq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tariq
The surname Tariq is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "tariq" meaning "the morning star" or "the bringer of light." The name can be traced back to the 7th century and the Arab conquests of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly the Islamic invasion of Spain in 711 CE, led by the Berber general Tariq ibn Ziyad.
Tariq ibn Ziyad, born around 670 CE, is considered the first person to bear this surname. He was a Berber Muslim commander who led the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing the first Islamic rule in the region. His name has been recorded in various historical chronicles and manuscripts, including the works of Ibn Khaldun and Al-Razi.
During the Moorish rule of Spain, the name Tariq became popular among the Muslim population. It was often associated with bravery, leadership, and the spread of Islam. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Tariq can be found in the "Repartimiento de Sevilla," a 13th-century document that listed the names of those who participated in the conquest of Seville in 1248.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Tariq. One such individual was Abu Bakr ibn Tariq (1019-1094), a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist from Valencia, Spain. Another was Tariq al-Zammouri (1234-1303), a Moroccan explorer and traveler who is believed to have reached the Canary Islands in the 13th century.
In the 15th century, the name Tariq appeared in various documents related to the Reconquista, the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule. For instance, the "Libro de Repartimiento de Lorca" from 1452 mentions a certain Tariq al-Lori, a Muslim landowner in the city of Lorca.
As the Moors were expelled from Spain in the late 15th century, many families with the surname Tariq migrated to North Africa, particularly to Morocco and Algeria. In these regions, the name continued to be prominent, with several notable figures emerging, such as Ahmed Tariq al-Masmoudi (1688-1766), a Moroccan scholar and author of the "Khulasatu al-Athar."
While the surname Tariq is primarily associated with the Arab and Muslim world, it has also been adopted by individuals of other ethnicities and religions, particularly in regions where Arabic influence has been significant, such as parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tariq
Among Census respondents with the surname Tariq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tariq 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 Tariq surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander88.4% · 2,959
- White5.8% · 193
- Two or more races2.7% · 89
- Black or African American2.1% · 70
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tariq
Tariq 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
#16,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,702
+817 bearers (+92.3%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Up 9,254 places
2020
#9,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
+1,645 bearers (+96.7%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 7,447 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,035 | 885 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,781 | 1,702 | 0.58 | +817 bearers (+92.3%) | Up 9,254 places |
| 2020 | #9,334 | 3,347 | 1.12 | +1,645 bearers (+96.7%) | Up 7,447 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 Tariq 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 | #16,781 | #9,334 | 44.4% |
| Count | 1,702 | 3,347 | 96.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.58 | 1.12 | 93.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tariq bearers went from 1,702 to 3,347 (+96.7% change). The surname moved up 7,447 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,781 to #9,334.
FAQ
Tariq surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tariq?
Name Census estimates that about 3,838 living Americans carry the surname Tariq. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,305 residents.
How common is Tariq?
Tariq ranks #9,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,347 people with the surname Tariq. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Tariq.
Has Tariq become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tariq went from 1,702 recorded bearers to 3,347. That is an increase of 1,645 (+96.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #16,781 to #9,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Tariq?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tariq, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 88.4%. The next largest groups are White (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Tariq in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (2,959 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tariq appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (88.4%), White (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Tariq (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 Tariq mean?
An Arabic surname meaning the conquerer or the morning star. 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 Tariq (1.12 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 common is the surname Tariq?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Tariq on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.