2000
#101,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Ziyad
An Arabic surname meaning "increase" or "growth."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 257 Americans carry the last name Ziyad. That puts it at #88,925 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,333,674 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ziyad 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
257
1 in 1,333,674
Census rank
#88,925
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
224
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 224 bearers of the surname Ziyad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 88925th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ziyad, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.7%. The next largest groups are White (23.2%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ziyad
The surname Ziyad has its roots in the Arab world, with origins that can be traced back to the Arabian Peninsula. Emerging prominently during the early Islamic period in the 7th and 8th centuries, the name Ziyad is derived from the Arabic root "zada," which means "to increase" or "to grow." This suggests that the surname Ziyad may have originally been a given name that denoted growth, prosperity, or abundance before becoming a family name passed down through generations.
Historically, the name Ziyad appears in several notable texts and records of the Islamic Golden Age. One of the earliest and most significant figures bearing this surname was Ziyad ibn Abi Sufyan, an influential governor of Basra and Kufa under the Ummayad Caliphate in the 7th century. His governance and contributions are well-documented in various historical records and chronicles of the Ummayad period.
Further references to the surname can be found in medieval Arabic manuscripts and texts. During the Abbasid Caliphate, historians and scholars such as Ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi mentioned individuals with the name Ziyad in his biographical dictionary, "Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir." These mentions provide insights into the prominence of the Ziyad family in political, military, and scholarly circles of early Islamic society.
One notable individual with this surname was Ziyad ibn Abihi, also known as Ziyad ibn Sumayya, who was a prominent political figure and the father of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, a key commander in early Islamic history. Born in the 7th century, Ziyad ibn Abihi played a crucial role in consolidating the Ummayad Caliphate's power and his legacy is often discussed in Islamic historiography.
By the 10th century, the surname Ziyad had spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula, appearing in various regions of the Islamic world, including North Africa and Al-Andalus (modern-day Spain and Portugal). This expansion is evidenced by historical records that mention the migration of families with the surname to these areas, often in the context of trade, governance, or scholarly pursuits.
Another significant bearer of the surname was Ziyad ibn Abdallah, a governor of the North African region during the early years of the Islamic conquests. His leadership contributed to the spread of Islam and the Arab culture throughout the Maghreb region. Historical accounts from this period highlight his administrative skills and efforts to integrate diverse populations under Islamic rule.
In the later centuries, the surname Ziyad continued to maintain its significance, with families bearing the name often being involved in scholarly and cultural endeavors. For example, in the 14th century, the Andalusian scholar Ziyad al-Ma'arri is noted for his contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics, with manuscripts bearing his name preserved in various libraries and archives across the Islamic world.
Throughout history, the surname Ziyad has been carried by individuals who have made substantial contributions to their societies, whether in governance, scholarship, or other fields. It reflects a rich heritage associated with growth, leadership, and intellectual pursuits, marking its bearers as notable figures in the annals of Islamic and world history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ziyad
Among Census respondents with the surname Ziyad, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.7%. The next largest groups are White (23.2%) and Hispanic (7.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ziyad 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 Ziyad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.7% · 136
- White23.2% · 52
- Hispanic or Latino7.6% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.3% · 14
- Two or more races1.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ziyad
Ziyad 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
#89,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208
+44 bearers (+26.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 12,585 places
2020
#88,925
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 224
+16 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 144 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #101,654 | 164 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,069 | 208 | 0.07 | +44 bearers (+26.8%) | Up 12,585 places |
| 2020 | #88,925 | 224 | 0.07 | +16 bearers (+7.7%) | Up 144 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 Ziyad 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 | #89,069 | #88,925 | 0.2% |
| Count | 208 | 224 | 7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ziyad bearers went from 208 to 224 (+7.7% change). The surname moved up 144 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,069 to #88,925.
FAQ
Ziyad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ziyad?
Name Census estimates that about 257 living Americans carry the surname Ziyad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,333,674 residents.
How common is Ziyad?
Ziyad ranks #88,925 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 224 people with the surname Ziyad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (257), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Ziyad.
Has Ziyad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ziyad went from 208 recorded bearers to 224. That is an increase of 16 (+7.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,069 to #88,925.
What does the Census say about the background of Ziyad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ziyad, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.7%. The next largest groups are White (23.2%) and Hispanic (7.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ziyad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ziyad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (60.7%), White (23.2%), Hispanic (7.6%). 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 Ziyad (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 Ziyad mean?
An Arabic surname meaning "increase" or "growth." 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 Ziyad (0.07 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 Ziyad?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Ziyad on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.