2000
#45,482
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Xenos
A surname of Greek origin meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 500 Americans carry the last name Xenos. That puts it at #51,542 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 685,509 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xenos 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
500
1 in 685,509
Census rank
#51,542
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
436
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 436 bearers of the surname Xenos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 51542nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xenos, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xenos
The surname Xenos originates from Greece, with its earliest references dating back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek word "xenos," which means "stranger" or "foreigner." This term was commonly used in Greek society, reflecting the importance of hospitality and the interaction between different cultures.
Xenos appears in various historical records and ancient manuscripts. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the writings of the famous Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BCE. Herodotus often mentioned individuals referred to as "xenos," highlighting their role in Greek city-states.
During the Byzantine Empire (330-1453 CE), the name Xenos was recorded in several legal documents and church records. One notable individual was Theodoros Xenos, a scholar and cleric who lived in the 10th century and contributed to theological and philosophical texts. His works were highly regarded in the Byzantine intellectual circles of the time.
The surname Xenos also appears in Venetian records dating back to the 13th century, when Venice controlled several Greek territories, including Crete, Corfu, and parts of mainland Greece. One prominent figure was Angelo Xenos, a merchant who traded between Venice and the Eastern Mediterranean. His business records from the 1270s provide valuable insights into the economic interactions of the era.
In the 16th century, the name gained further prominence with the rise of Ioannis Xenos, a Cretan military leader who defended the island against Ottoman invasions. His strategic acumen and leadership during the Cretan War (1645-1669) were celebrated in local lore and documented by historians of the period.
Another significant figure bearing the surname was Nikolaos Xenos, an 18th-century scholar and diplomat who served the Russian Empire. Born in 1710, Nikolaos played a crucial role in the diplomatic relations between Russia and the Greek Orthodox community under Ottoman rule. He authored several treatises on Greek history and culture, which remain important sources of information today.
The surname Xenos has also been associated with intellectual and artistic contributions. Among them was Dimitrios Xenos, a 19th-century poet who was part of the Greek literary renaissance. Born in 1830, his poems often explored themes of identity, exile, and cultural heritage, resonating with the broader Hellenic awakening of the time.
Throughout the centuries, the surname Xenos has continued to be a symbol of cultural exchange and historical significance. Its bearers have contributed to various fields, reflecting the rich and diverse history of the name across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xenos
Among Census respondents with the surname Xenos, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Xenos 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 Xenos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 386
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 29
- Two or more races4.1% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xenos
Xenos 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
#46,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 455
+12 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 1,243 places
2020
#51,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 436
-19 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 4,817 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #45,482 | 443 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #46,725 | 455 | 0.15 | +12 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 1,243 places |
| 2020 | #51,542 | 436 | 0.15 | -19 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 4,817 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 Xenos 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 | #46,725 | #51,542 | -10.3% |
| Count | 455 | 436 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xenos bearers went from 455 to 436 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 4,817 positions in the national ranking, going from #46,725 to #51,542.
FAQ
Xenos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xenos?
Name Census estimates that about 500 living Americans carry the surname Xenos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 685,509 residents.
How common is Xenos?
Xenos ranks #51,542 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 436 people with the surname Xenos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Xenos.
Has Xenos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xenos went from 455 recorded bearers to 436. That is a decrease of 19 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #46,725 to #51,542.
What does the Census say about the background of Xenos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xenos, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Xenos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (386 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xenos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Xenos (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 Xenos mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning 'foreigner' or 'stranger'. 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 Xenos (0.15 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 Xenos?
Want to know how many people are called Xenos? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.