2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wakeen
A surname potentially derived from an Arabic term meaning 'trustworthy' or 'reliable'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Wakeen. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wakeen 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Wakeen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wakeen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wakeen
The surname WAKEEN is believed to have originated in the Middle East, specifically in the region of modern-day Iraq and Iran. It is thought to have roots in the Arabic language, with some linguistic experts suggesting that it may be derived from the Arabic word "waqeen," which means "vigilant" or "watchful."
In its earliest recorded instances, the name WAKEEN appeared in ancient manuscripts and historical records from the region, dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries CE. Some of these records include mentions of individuals with the name WAKEEN serving in various roles, such as scholars, merchants, and soldiers.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname WAKEEN was a renowned scholar named Ahmed ibn WAKEEN, who lived in the 9th century CE. He was a respected authority on Islamic jurisprudence and is known for his contributions to the study of hadith (the recorded sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad).
Another notable figure with the surname WAKEEN was Isa ibn WAKEEN, a military commander who lived in the 10th century CE. He served under the Abbasid Caliphate and played a significant role in the expansion of the Islamic empire during that time.
In the 12th century, a prominent physician named Zayn al-Din WAKEEN gained recognition for his medical expertise and contributions to the field of medicine. He is credited with writing several influential treatises on various medical topics, which were widely studied and referenced by scholars of his time.
As the centuries passed, the WAKEEN surname spread to different regions of the Middle East, with variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging in different areas. For example, in some parts of modern-day Iran, the name was sometimes written as "WAKEEN" or "WAKEEN."
In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname WAKEEN was Muhammad WAKEEN, a renowned calligrapher and artist from Baghdad. His intricate calligraphic works were highly praised and sought after, and he is considered one of the most skilled calligraphers of his era.
It is worth noting that while the surname WAKEEN has its origins in the Middle East, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange. However, the historical roots and significance of the name remain deeply connected to its Middle Eastern heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wakeen
Among Census respondents with the surname Wakeen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Wakeen 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 Wakeen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 5
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wakeen
Wakeen 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+8 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,242 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-15 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 1,242 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 9,196 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 Wakeen 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 | #147,253 | #156,449 | -6.2% |
| Count | 112 | 97 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wakeen bearers went from 112 to 97 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 9,196 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #156,449.
FAQ
Wakeen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wakeen?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Wakeen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Wakeen?
Wakeen ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Wakeen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Wakeen.
Has Wakeen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wakeen went from 112 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 15 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Wakeen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wakeen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Wakeen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wakeen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Wakeen (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 Wakeen mean?
A surname potentially derived from an Arabic term meaning 'trustworthy' or 'reliable'. 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 Wakeen (0.03 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 are called Wakeen?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Wakeen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.