2000
#876
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,079
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.37
Uncommon Last name
Ali
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "lofty," "sublime," or "champion," often denoting descendants of the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 96,932 Americans carry the last name Ali. That puts it at #366 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 28.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,536 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ali 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 Ali with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
97K
1 in 3,536
Census rank
#366
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
28.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
85K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 84,529 bearers of the surname Ali in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 28.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 366th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ali, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and White (18.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ali
The surname ALI is believed to have originated in the Middle East and is an Arabic name derived from the word "Ali" which means "sublime" or "exalted". The name is closely associated with Islam and has its roots in the Arabian Peninsula.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in Islamic texts and manuscripts dating back to the 7th century AD, where it was used to refer to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. Ali ibn Abi Talib was the fourth caliph of Islam and is revered by Shia Muslims as the first Imam.
As Islam spread across the Middle East and North Africa, the name ALI became more widespread. It was adopted by many families as a surname, particularly in areas such as modern-day Iraq, Iran, Egypt, and Morocco. Variations of the spelling, such as Ali, Aly, and Aley, also emerged in different regions.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname ALI can be found in the writings of the famous Arab philosopher and polymath, Al-Biruni, who lived between 973-1048 AD. He mentions several individuals with the surname ALI in his works on astronomy and geography.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the surname ALI. One such person was Muhammad Ali, the renowned Egyptian writer and intellectual who lived from 1769 to 1849. He was a prominent figure in the Arabic literary renaissance and wrote extensively on various topics, including history, philosophy, and theology.
Another famous bearer of the surname was Amjad Ali Khan, the Indian classical musician and sarod player, who was born in 1945. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest living exponents of the sarod and has been awarded numerous honors, including the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.
In the field of sports, Muhammad Ali, the legendary American boxer and activist, is perhaps one of the most well-known individuals with the surname ALI. Born in 1942 as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., he later changed his name after converting to Islam. His impact on the sport of boxing and his stance against racism and the Vietnam War made him a cultural icon.
The surname ALI has also been associated with several historical figures in various parts of the world. In South Asia, the Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah II, who reigned from 1837 to 1857, had the title of "Ali Gauhar" as part of his regnal name. In Africa, the Sudanese leader Ismail al-Azhari, who led a resistance movement against British colonial rule in the early 20th century, is often referred to as Ali Abdel-Latif.
While the surname ALI has its roots in the Middle East and is closely tied to Islam, it has spread across various regions and cultures, reflecting the diverse histories and traditions of those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ali
Among Census respondents with the surname Ali, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and White (18.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ali 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 Ali surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander41.8% · 35,335
- Black or African American31.5% · 26,649
- White18.8% · 15,892
- Two or more races4.9% · 4,157
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 2,190
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 306
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ali
Ali 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
#559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 60,002
+23,923 bearers (+66.3%)
Per 100,000 20.34
Rank movement Up 317 places
2020
#366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 84,529
+24,527 bearers (+40.9%)
Per 100,000 28.28
Rank movement Up 193 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #876 | 36,079 | 13.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #559 | 60,002 | 20.34 | +23,923 bearers (+66.3%) | Up 317 places |
| 2020 | #366 | 84,529 | 28.28 | +24,527 bearers (+40.9%) | Up 193 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 Ali 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 | #559 | #366 | 34.5% |
| Count | 60,002 | 84,529 | 40.9% |
| Per 100K | 20.34 | 28.28 | 39.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ali bearers went from 60,002 to 84,529 (+40.9% change). The surname moved up 193 positions in the national ranking, going from #559 to #366.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ali
FAQ
Ali surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ali?
Name Census estimates that about 96,932 living Americans carry the surname Ali. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,536 residents.
How common is Ali?
Ali ranks #366 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 28.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 28 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 84,529 people with the surname Ali. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (96,932), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 28.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 28.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 28 of them to have the surname Ali.
Has Ali become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ali went from 60,002 recorded bearers to 84,529. That is an increase of 24,527 (+40.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #559 to #366.
What does the Census say about the background of Ali?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ali, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 41.8%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and White (18.8%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ali in the 2020 Census, accounting for 41.8% (35,335 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ali appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (41.8%), Black (31.5%), White (18.8%). 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 Ali (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 Ali mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "lofty," "sublime," or "champion," often denoting descendants of the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali. 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 Ali (28.28 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 Ali?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.