2000
#52,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 370
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Rare Last name
Usmani
A surname originating from the region of Usman or the medieval Usmani Sultanate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,094 Americans carry the last name Usmani. That puts it at #26,876 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 313,304 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Usmani 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 Usmani with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 313,304
Census rank
#26,876
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
954
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 954 bearers of the surname Usmani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26876th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Usmani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Usmani
The surname USMANI has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the title "al-Usmani," meaning "the Ottoman." This title was associated with the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning parts of Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa for over six centuries, from the late 13th century until the early 20th century.
The name USMANI can be traced back to the Ottoman dynasty, which was founded by Osman I, also known as Osman Ghazi, in the late 13th century. Osman I established the Ottoman Empire, and his descendants carried the honorific title "al-Usmani" to signify their lineage and connection to the ruling dynasty.
Historical records and manuscripts from the Ottoman Empire frequently mention individuals with the surname USMANI, particularly those who held prominent positions within the imperial administration or military. One notable example is Khair al-Din Pasha, also known as Barbarossa (1466-1546), a famous Ottoman naval officer and privateer who played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire's naval power in the Mediterranean.
Another prominent figure bearing the surname USMANI was Mustafa Reşid Pasha (1800-1858), a renowned Ottoman statesman and diplomat who served as the Grand Vizier (chief minister) of the Ottoman Empire during the Tanzimat reform period in the 19th century. He played a crucial role in modernizing the Ottoman state and implementing significant social and political reforms.
The name USMANI was also associated with various place names and geographic locations within the Ottoman Empire. For instance, the city of Usmanieh, located in present-day Lebanon, was named after the Ottoman ruler Osman III, who reigned from 1754 to 1757.
Other notable individuals with the surname USMANI include Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703-1762), a prominent Islamic scholar and reviver of the Naqshbandi Sufi order in South Asia, and Mirza Muhammad Asad Ullah Khan Ghalib (1797-1869), one of the most celebrated Urdu and Persian poets of the Mughal era.
It is important to note that while the surname USMANI has its roots in the Ottoman Empire, it has since spread and been adopted by individuals and families across various regions and cultures, particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, and among Muslim communities worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Usmani
Among Census respondents with the surname Usmani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Usmani 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 Usmani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.6% · 836
- White5.9% · 56
- Two or more races4.9% · 47
- Black or African American0.8% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Usmani
Usmani 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
#34,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 658
+288 bearers (+77.8%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 18,181 places
2020
#26,876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 954
+296 bearers (+45.0%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 7,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,608 | 370 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,427 | 658 | 0.22 | +288 bearers (+77.8%) | Up 18,181 places |
| 2020 | #26,876 | 954 | 0.32 | +296 bearers (+45.0%) | Up 7,551 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 Usmani 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 | #34,427 | #26,876 | 21.9% |
| Count | 658 | 954 | 45.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.32 | 45.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Usmani bearers went from 658 to 954 (+45.0% change). The surname moved up 7,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,427 to #26,876.
FAQ
Usmani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Usmani?
Name Census estimates that about 1,094 living Americans carry the surname Usmani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 313,304 residents.
How common is Usmani?
Usmani ranks #26,876 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 954 people with the surname Usmani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Usmani.
Has Usmani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Usmani went from 658 recorded bearers to 954. That is an increase of 296 (+45.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,427 to #26,876.
What does the Census say about the background of Usmani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Usmani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Usmani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (836 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Usmani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.6%), White (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Usmani (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 Usmani mean?
A surname originating from the region of Usman or the medieval Usmani Sultanate. 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 Usmani (0.32 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 have the last name Usmani?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Usmani on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.