2000
#36,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 575
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Rare Last name
Zahid
An Arabic surname meaning abstinent, humble, or ascetic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,093 Americans carry the last name Zahid. That puts it at #15,460 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zahid 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 Zahid with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,762
Census rank
#15,460
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,825 bearers of the surname Zahid in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15460th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zahid, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zahid
The surname Zahid has its origins in the Arabic-speaking world, particularly in the regions that comprise modern-day Middle Eastern countries. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Zahid," which means "devout," "ascetic," or "pious." It suggests a person who is deeply religious or devoted to an ascetic lifestyle. The historical roots of this surname can be traced back to the early Islamic period, around the 7th century, as the concept of asceticism was a respected attribute among Muslims.
In terms of early mentions, the surname Zahid appears in various Islamic texts and historical records, signifying notable individuals who were recognized for their piety. Although there is no direct equivalent of European records like the Domesday Book for the Arabic world, historical manuscripts and records from the Abbasid and Umayyad periods, roughly spanning the 8th to the 13th centuries, contain mentions of individuals with this surname. Since names in Islamic culture often reflected personal attributes or qualities, Zahid was likely used as a surname to denote someone known for their religious devotion.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Zahid was Abu Ishaq Ibrahim al-Zahid, a revered scholar and jurist who lived during the early Abbasid Caliphate in the 9th century. Another notable figure is Muhammad Zahid Khan, an influential courtier and vizier during the Seljuk Empire's rule in the 11th century. These early examples highlight the spread of the surname among learned and influential personalities across the Islamic world.
In the subsequent centuries, as Islamic culture and religion spread, so did the surname Zahid. In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname was Ali ibn Muhammad al-Zahid, a poet and Sufi mystic based in Persia. His work contributed significantly to Persian literature and Sufi thought. The artistic and intellectual contributions of such individuals helped solidify the surname Zahid as symbolizing intellectual and spiritual pursuit.
By the 18th century, we find another remarkable individual, Mullah Zahid, a scholar from the Indian subcontinent. His theological and philosophical contributions were recognized in various schools of thought, increasing the surname's prestige in the region. His descendants continued to uphold the intellectual and spiritual traditions, further embedding the surname in the cultural fabric of South Asia.
The surname Zahid continued to be associated with scholarly and religious figures well into the 19th century. Mirza Zahid Baig, an influential leader and advisor in the Ottoman Empire, made significant contributions to political thought and administrative reforms. His leadership and vision are remembered in various historical accounts and documents from that period.
Through these centuries, the surname Zahid has seen various spellings and adaptations in different regions, depending on the local language and pronunciation norms. Despite these changes, the core meaning and attributes associated with the name have remained consistent. Today, historical records and manuscripts reflect the enduring legacy of the surname Zahid as symbolizing devoutness, intellectual pursuit, and spiritual significance, with deep roots in Arabic and Islamic history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zahid
Among Census respondents with the surname Zahid, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Zahid 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 Zahid surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander86.1% · 1,572
- White8.2% · 149
- Two or more races3.6% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 20
- Black or African American1.0% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zahid
Zahid 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
#23,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,094
+519 bearers (+90.3%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 13,389 places
2020
#15,460
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,825
+731 bearers (+66.8%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 7,823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,672 | 575 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,283 | 1,094 | 0.37 | +519 bearers (+90.3%) | Up 13,389 places |
| 2020 | #15,460 | 1,825 | 0.61 | +731 bearers (+66.8%) | Up 7,823 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 Zahid 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 | #23,283 | #15,460 | 33.6% |
| Count | 1,094 | 1,825 | 66.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.61 | 65.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zahid bearers went from 1,094 to 1,825 (+66.8% change). The surname moved up 7,823 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,283 to #15,460.
FAQ
Zahid surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zahid?
Name Census estimates that about 2,093 living Americans carry the surname Zahid. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,762 residents.
How common is Zahid?
Zahid ranks #15,460 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,825 people with the surname Zahid. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,093), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Zahid.
Has Zahid become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zahid went from 1,094 recorded bearers to 1,825. That is an increase of 731 (+66.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,283 to #15,460.
What does the Census say about the background of Zahid?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zahid, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 86.1%. The next largest groups are White (8.2%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Zahid in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (1,572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zahid appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (86.1%), White (8.2%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Zahid (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 Zahid mean?
An Arabic surname meaning abstinent, humble, or ascetic. 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 Zahid (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Zahid?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.