2000
#16,283
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Bashir
One who brings good news or glad tidings, from the Arabic root "bashara" meaning to rejoice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,194 Americans carry the last name Bashir. That puts it at #8,619 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,725 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bashir 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 Bashir with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 81,725
Census rank
#8,619
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,657 bearers of the surname Bashir in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8619th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bashir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 43.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.4%) and White (10.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bashir
The surname Bashir is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "bashar" which means "to bring good news" or "to announce glad tidings." The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, particularly in regions with a strong Islamic influence, such as the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Bashir can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic empire. It is likely that the name was initially used as a descriptive term or a nickname for individuals who were known for their ability to convey good news or spread positive messages.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the surname Bashir was Abu Bashir Al-Andalusi, a prominent Muslim scholar from Al-Andalus (present-day Spain) who lived in the 11th century. He was renowned for his contributions to the fields of Islamic jurisprudence and theology.
Another notable figure was Bashir ibn Sa'd, a renowned Arab poet and military commander who lived in the 7th century AD. He played a significant role in the early Islamic conquests and is mentioned in various historical texts and chronicles from that period.
In the 13th century, a prominent Islamic scholar and jurist named Bashir al-Din al-Khatib al-Baghdadi hailed from Baghdad. He was widely respected for his expertise in Islamic law and his contributions to the study of hadith (sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad).
During the 14th century, a philosopher and physician named Bashir al-Din al-Naysaburi, who was born in Nishapur (present-day Iran), gained recognition for his work in the fields of medicine and philosophy.
In more recent history, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Bashir was Omar al-Bashir, who served as the President of Sudan from 1989 to 2019. Despite his controversial leadership and allegations of human rights abuses, his name remains significant in the political and historical context of Sudan.
It is worth noting that while the surname Bashir has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has since spread to various regions and communities around the world, transcending cultural and religious boundaries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bashir
Among Census respondents with the surname Bashir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 43.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.4%) and White (10.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bashir 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 Bashir surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander43.2% · 1,580
- Black or African American39.4% · 1,441
- White10.7% · 393
- Two or more races4.8% · 174
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bashir
Bashir 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
#11,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,752
+1,123 bearers (+68.9%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 4,840 places
2020
#8,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,657
+905 bearers (+32.9%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 2,824 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,283 | 1,629 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,443 | 2,752 | 0.93 | +1,123 bearers (+68.9%) | Up 4,840 places |
| 2020 | #8,619 | 3,657 | 1.22 | +905 bearers (+32.9%) | Up 2,824 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 Bashir 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 | #11,443 | #8,619 | 24.7% |
| Count | 2,752 | 3,657 | 32.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 1.22 | 31.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bashir bearers went from 2,752 to 3,657 (+32.9% change). The surname moved up 2,824 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,443 to #8,619.
FAQ
Bashir surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bashir?
Name Census estimates that about 4,194 living Americans carry the surname Bashir. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,725 residents.
How common is Bashir?
Bashir ranks #8,619 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,657 people with the surname Bashir. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Bashir.
Has Bashir become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bashir went from 2,752 recorded bearers to 3,657. That is an increase of 905 (+32.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,443 to #8,619.
What does the Census say about the background of Bashir?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bashir, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 43.2%. The next largest groups are Black (39.4%) and White (10.7%). 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 Bashir in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.2% (1,580 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bashir appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (43.2%), Black (39.4%), White (10.7%). 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 Bashir (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 Bashir mean?
One who brings good news or glad tidings, from the Arabic root "bashara" meaning to rejoice. 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 Bashir (1.22 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 Bashir?
Find out how common the surname Bashir is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.