2000
#85,643
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 203
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Xuereb
A Maltese surname derived from the Arabic word for "easterly" or "easterner".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 266 Americans carry the last name Xuereb. That puts it at #86,457 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,288,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Xuereb 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 Xuereb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
266
1 in 1,288,550
Census rank
#86,457
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
232
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 232 bearers of the surname Xuereb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86457th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Xuereb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Xuereb
The surname Xuereb has its origins in Malta, a small island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. Malta has a rich history of cross-cultural influences, and its surnames reflect this diverse heritage. Xuereb is an evocative surname that carries a mix of influences from the Italian, Arabic, and possibly even Norman languages, reflecting the complex history of Malta which was a melting pot for various civilizations over time.
One of the earliest references to the name Xuereb can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have originated from the Sicilian or Italian derivation of the Arabic word 'shurayb,' which means "a little drink" or could also imply "a small canal” or “a small river.” Given Malta's history of Arab rule, it is plausible that the surname has Arabic roots before being adapted and integrated into Maltese culture and lexicon.
Historical manuscripts and records such as church registries from the 16th and 17th centuries contain references to the surname Xuereb. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Mario Xuereb, born in 1575 in Mdina, Malta, then the island's capital. His family were local merchants, indicating that the name had some standing in the community.
Another notable person is Giovanni Xuereb, a painter born in 1643 and died in 1702, who contributed significantly to the Baroque art movement in Malta. His works decorated many of the island’s grand churches and public buildings, establishing the family name within the annals of Maltese art history.
In the 18th century, a figure bearing the surname Xuereb, Alexandro Xuereb, born in 1739 and died in 1791, is noted to have been an influential figure in Maltese politics. He served in local government and was known for his strong advocacy of Maltese autonomy during the waning years of the Knights Hospitaller's rule.
Moving to the 19th century, Emilio Xuereb, an academic born in 1821 and died in 1892, made significant contributions to the study of Maltese philology and history. His extensive works on the Maltese language and culture were pioneering at the time, further cementing the surname as one associated with intellectual and cultural prominence.
Lastly, the name is carried into the modern era by figures such as Francesca Xuereb, a prominent Maltese writer born in 1903 and died in 1977. Her novels often reflected the social and cultural shifts occurring in Malta during the early 20th century and brought widespread recognition to Maltese literature.
The surname Xuereb, therefore, is a deeply rooted Maltese name with a multifaceted history, intertwined with the island's cultural, political, and artistic development. The surname's bearers have played significant roles in shaping Maltese identity through centuries, ensuring that the name is well-remembered within the rich tapestry of Malta's history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Xuereb
Among Census respondents with the surname Xuereb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Xuereb 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 Xuereb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 212
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 13
- Two or more races2.2% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Xuereb
Xuereb 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
#78,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 245
+42 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 7,603 places
2020
#86,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 232
-13 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 8,417 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,643 | 203 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,040 | 245 | 0.08 | +42 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 7,603 places |
| 2020 | #86,457 | 232 | 0.08 | -13 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 8,417 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 Xuereb 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 | #78,040 | #86,457 | -10.8% |
| Count | 245 | 232 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Xuereb bearers went from 245 to 232 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 8,417 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,040 to #86,457.
FAQ
Xuereb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Xuereb?
Name Census estimates that about 266 living Americans carry the surname Xuereb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,288,550 residents.
How common is Xuereb?
Xuereb ranks #86,457 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 232 people with the surname Xuereb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (266), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Xuereb.
Has Xuereb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Xuereb went from 245 recorded bearers to 232. That is a decrease of 13 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #78,040 to #86,457.
What does the Census say about the background of Xuereb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Xuereb, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Xuereb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (212 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Xuereb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (5.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Xuereb (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 Xuereb mean?
A Maltese surname derived from the Arabic word for "easterly" or "easterner". 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 Xuereb (0.08 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 Xuereb?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Xuereb at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.