2000
#20,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,230
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Assad
A surname denoting a member of the Alawite Muslim minority sect of Syria.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,908 Americans carry the last name Assad. That puts it at #16,706 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 179,641 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Assad 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 Assad with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 179,641
Census rank
#16,706
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,664 bearers of the surname Assad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16706th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Assad, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Black (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Assad
The surname Assad is of Arabic origin, believed to have emerged in the Levant region during the medieval period. It is derived from the Arabic word "asad," meaning "lion," which was often used as a symbolic epithet or descriptive byname for individuals perceived as brave, courageous, or formidable.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Assad surname can be traced back to the 12th century, appearing in medieval Arabic manuscripts and chronicles from the region. During this time, the name was commonly associated with prominent families and individuals who held positions of power or influence in the societies of the Levant.
In the 13th century, the Assad name gained further prominence with the rise of the Ayyubid dynasty, a Sunni Muslim Kurdishfamily that ruled over parts of modern-day Syria, Egypt, and Yemen. One notable figure from this period was Al-Malik Al-Ashraf Musa Assad, a Sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty who ruled over parts of Syria from 1237 to 1237 CE.
The Assad surname continued to be prevalent in the Levant region throughout the subsequent centuries, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in areas such as Damascus, Aleppo, and other Syrian cities. One notable example from the 17th century is Ahmad Assad, a scholar and poet from Damascus who was renowned for his contributions to Arabic literature.
During the Ottoman era, the Assad name was also found among influential families in the region, with some members holding administrative positions or serving in the military ranks of the Ottoman Empire. One such figure was Mustafa Assad, a prominent military commander who served in the Ottoman army during the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, the Assad surname gained further recognition with the birth of Khaled Assad (1934-2015), a renowned Syrian archaeologist and scholar who dedicated his life to preserving and studying the ancient ruins of Palmyra. His work in documenting and protecting the cultural heritage of Syria earned him international acclaim and recognition.
Throughout its history, the Assad surname has been associated with various place names and locations within the Levant region, such as the town of Assad in northern Syria, as well as the Assad Valley and Assad Lake, both located in the coastal region of Syria.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Assad
Among Census respondents with the surname Assad, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Black (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Assad 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 Assad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 1,324
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 113
- Black or African American5.9% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.4% · 73
- Two or more races3.2% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Assad
Assad 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
#19,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,400
+170 bearers (+13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 818 places
2020
#16,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,664
+264 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 2,628 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,152 | 1,230 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,334 | 1,400 | 0.47 | +170 bearers (+13.8%) | Up 818 places |
| 2020 | #16,706 | 1,664 | 0.56 | +264 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 2,628 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 Assad 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 | #19,334 | #16,706 | 13.6% |
| Count | 1,400 | 1,664 | 18.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.56 | 18.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Assad bearers went from 1,400 to 1,664 (+18.9% change). The surname moved up 2,628 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,334 to #16,706.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Assad
FAQ
Assad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Assad?
Name Census estimates that about 1,908 living Americans carry the surname Assad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 179,641 residents.
How common is Assad?
Assad ranks #16,706 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,664 people with the surname Assad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,908), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Assad.
Has Assad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Assad went from 1,400 recorded bearers to 1,664. That is an increase of 264 (+18.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #19,334 to #16,706.
What does the Census say about the background of Assad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Assad, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Black (5.9%). 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 Assad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (1,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Assad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Hispanic (6.8%), Black (5.9%). 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 Assad (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 Assad mean?
A surname denoting a member of the Alawite Muslim minority sect of Syria. 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 Assad (0.56 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 Assad?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.