2000
#5,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.99
Uncommon Last name
Begum
A title of nobility used for Muslim women of high social class, especially in South Asia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,477 Americans carry the last name Begum. That puts it at #1,714 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,600 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Begum 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 Begum with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,600
Census rank
#1,714
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,473 bearers of the surname Begum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1714th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Begum, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.3%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Begum
The surname "Begum" has its origins in the Indian subcontinent and is derived from the Turkish word "Begüm," which means "princess" or "lady of high rank." This title was commonly used in the Mughal Empire, which ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th century.
The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, in 1526. During this period, the title "Begum" was bestowed upon the wives and daughters of the Mughal emperors and other high-ranking nobles. It became a prestigious title, signifying the bearer's status and lineage.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the use of the title "Begum" can be found in the official chronicles of the Mughal Empire, known as the "Akbarnama," which documents the life and reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542-1605). The book mentions several prominent Begums, including Akbar's mother, Hamida Banu Begum, and his chief wife, Mariam-uz-Zamani Begum.
Another notable Begum from the Mughal era was Nur Jahan Begum (1577-1645), who was the wife of the Mughal emperor Jahangir. She was known for her intelligence, beauty, and political influence, and often took an active role in governing the empire.
As the Mughal Empire declined in the 18th and 19th centuries, the title "Begum" continued to be used by the wives and daughters of the remaining Mughal nobility, as well as by the royal families of the princely states that emerged in the aftermath of the empire's collapse.
One of the most famous Begums of the later period was Begum Samru (1753-1836), a former nautch (dancing) girl who rose to become the ruler of the princely state of Sardhana in present-day Uttar Pradesh. She is renowned for her military prowess and her role in the political intrigues of the time.
Another prominent Begum was Begum Hazrat Mahal (1820-1879), who was the wife of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar. She played a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, leading the rebel forces in the city of Lucknow against the British East India Company.
Over time, the surname "Begum" became associated with Muslim families of high social standing or those who claimed descent from the Mughal nobility. It is still commonly found in parts of South Asia, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and serves as a reminder of the region's rich cultural heritage and the influence of the Mughal Empire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Begum
Among Census respondents with the surname Begum, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.3%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Begum 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 Begum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander97.3% · 19,927
- White0.9% · 175
- Two or more races0.8% · 165
- Black or African American0.6% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino0.4% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Begum
Begum 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
#2,924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,255
+6,880 bearers (+128.0%)
Per 100,000 4.15
Rank movement Up 2,973 places
2020
#1,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,473
+8,218 bearers (+67.1%)
Per 100,000 6.85
Rank movement Up 1,210 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,897 | 5,375 | 1.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,924 | 12,255 | 4.15 | +6,880 bearers (+128.0%) | Up 2,973 places |
| 2020 | #1,714 | 20,473 | 6.85 | +8,218 bearers (+67.1%) | Up 1,210 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 Begum 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 | #2,924 | #1,714 | 41.4% |
| Count | 12,255 | 20,473 | 67.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.15 | 6.85 | 65.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Begum bearers went from 12,255 to 20,473 (+67.1% change). The surname moved up 1,210 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,924 to #1,714.
FAQ
Begum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Begum?
Name Census estimates that about 23,477 living Americans carry the surname Begum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,600 residents.
How common is Begum?
Begum ranks #1,714 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,473 people with the surname Begum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Begum.
Has Begum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Begum went from 12,255 recorded bearers to 20,473. That is an increase of 8,218 (+67.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,924 to #1,714.
What does the Census say about the background of Begum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Begum, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 97.3%. The next largest groups are White (0.9%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Begum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (19,927 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Begum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (97.3%), White (0.9%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Begum (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 Begum mean?
A title of nobility used for Muslim women of high social class, especially in South Asia. 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 Begum (6.85 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 Begum?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.