2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Zarabi
A surname of Iranian origin with an unclear meaning or etymology.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 169 Americans carry the last name Zarabi. That puts it at #123,144 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,028,132 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zarabi 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
169
1 in 2,028,132
Census rank
#123,144
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
147
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 147 bearers of the surname Zarabi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 123144th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarabi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zarabi
The surname Zarabi is believed to have originated in North Africa, specifically within the regions of Morocco and Algeria. The earliest documented use of the name dates back to the medieval period, around the 12th century. In the context of Arabic and Berber languages, Zarabi roughly translates to "weavers" or "carpet makers," derived from the Arabic word "zārābī," which means "carpets." This connection to weaving suggests that the initial bearers of the name were likely involved in the craft of carpet weaving, an important and respected profession in the cultural and economic history of the Maghreb region.
Historical references to the surname Zarabi can be found in various manuscripts and records from the Islamic Golden Age, particularly in trade documents and guild memberships relating to the textile industry. While no direct equivalent exists to the Domesday Book in the Maghreb, several medieval North African records mention families with the name Zarabi involved in the trade of hand-woven carpets and textiles, primarily in bustling marketplaces and caravanserais.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Zarabi is Hamid Ibn Zarabi, a notable 13th-century weaver from Fez, Morocco, whose works were renowned for their intricate designs and high quality. Another significant figure is Aisha Zarabi, a 15th-century Algerian merchant, who gained prominence for exporting exquisite carpets to Andalusia during the Golden Age of Islam. A manuscript from the Alhambra library refers to her as a key supplier of luxurious tapestries.
In the 17th century, the surname Zarabi appears in the records of the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the coastal cities of Algiers and Tunis. Yusuf Zarabi was a well-known diplomat and advisor to the Bey of Tunis, often involved in trade negotiations with European merchants. His influence extended to cultural sponsorship, where he supported local artisans, including fellow weavers from his clan.
By the 19th century, the demographic spread of the Zarabi surname had extended beyond North Africa. The name appears in colonial records of French-controlled territories, with Brahim Zarabi, a noted revolutionary and intellectual, actively participating in the anti-colonial resistance movements of Algeria in the late 1800s. His contributions to the cause have been documented in several historical texts concerning the fight for Algerian independence.
The surname continued to hold cultural significance into the modern era, with individuals like Karim Zarabi, an early 20th-century Moroccan author and poet. Born in 1897, Karim’s literary works emphasized the rich cultural heritage of the Maghreb and frequently referenced traditional crafts such as weaving, paying homage to his ancestral roots.
Providing a glimpse into the historical and cultural tapestry woven by the bearers of the Zarabi surname, these accounts demonstrate the enduring legacy of a name closely linked with an age-old craft and its significance across generations and geographies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zarabi
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarabi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zarabi 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 Zarabi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 118
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.9% · 16
- Two or more races6.8% · 10
- Black or African American0.7% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino0.7% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zarabi
Zarabi 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
#113,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
+30 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 13,245 places
2020
#123,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
-8 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 9,989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #113,155 | 155 | 0.05 | +30 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 13,245 places |
| 2020 | #123,144 | 147 | 0.05 | -8 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 9,989 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 Zarabi 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 | #113,155 | #123,144 | -8.8% |
| Count | 155 | 147 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | -1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zarabi bearers went from 155 to 147 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 9,989 positions in the national ranking, going from #113,155 to #123,144.
FAQ
Zarabi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zarabi?
Name Census estimates that about 169 living Americans carry the surname Zarabi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,028,132 residents.
How common is Zarabi?
Zarabi ranks #123,144 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 147 people with the surname Zarabi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Zarabi.
Has Zarabi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zarabi went from 155 recorded bearers to 147. That is a decrease of 8 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #113,155 to #123,144.
What does the Census say about the background of Zarabi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zarabi, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Zarabi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zarabi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.9%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Zarabi (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 Zarabi mean?
A surname of Iranian origin with an unclear meaning or etymology. 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 Zarabi (0.05 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 common is the surname Zarabi?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Zarabi, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.