2000
#102,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Ceylan
A Turkish surname derived from the Persian word meaning "deer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 422 Americans carry the last name Ceylan. That puts it at #59,374 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 812,214 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ceylan 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 Ceylan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
422
1 in 812,214
Census rank
#59,374
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
368
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 368 bearers of the surname Ceylan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 59374th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ceylan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ceylan
The surname CEYLAN is of Turkish origin, originating from the Turkish word "ceylan" which translates to "gazelle" or "deer". This name likely originated in the Anatolian region of modern-day Turkey during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the CEYLAN surname can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname or descriptive surname to individuals who possessed graceful or agile qualities, likening them to the swift and elegant movements of a gazelle.
During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the CEYLAN surname appeared in various administrative records and documents, particularly those related to taxation and land ownership. One notable reference can be found in the "Tahrir Defterleri" (Ottoman cadastral survey registers) from the late 15th century, where the name CEYLAN is recorded among the residents of various villages and towns within the empire's territories.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing the CEYLAN surname was Mehmet Ceylan, a renowned calligrapher and artist who lived in Istanbul. His intricate and beautiful calligraphic works adorned numerous mosques and palaces throughout the Ottoman capital.
Another notable individual with the CEYLAN surname was Ayşe Ceylan, a 19th-century Ottoman poet and writer known for her elegant and descriptive literary works. Born in 1826 in Amasya, her poetry collection "Divan-ı Ayşe Ceylan" is considered a significant contribution to Ottoman literature.
In the 20th century, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a renowned Turkish film director and screenwriter, gained international acclaim for his award-winning films, including "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" (2011) and "Winter Sleep" (2014), which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Born in 1959 in Istanbul, Ceylan's films often explore the complexities of human relationships and the Turkish cultural landscape.
The CEYLAN surname has also been associated with several notable places in Turkey. For instance, the village of Ceylanpınar, located in the Şanlıurfa province, derived its name from the presence of gazelles in the area. Similarly, the town of Ceylan in the Kırşehir province is believed to have taken its name from the abundance of gazelles in the region during ancient times.
Throughout its history, the CEYLAN surname has maintained a strong connection to its Turkish roots and the symbolic significance of the gazelle. It serves as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Anatolian region, where this surname originated and flourished over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ceylan
Among Census respondents with the surname Ceylan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ceylan 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 Ceylan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 344
- Black or African American3.3% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 4
- Two or more races0.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ceylan
Ceylan 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
#65,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
+142 bearers (+87.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 37,447 places
2020
#59,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 368
+64 bearers (+21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 5,870 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #102,691 | 162 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,244 | 304 | 0.10 | +142 bearers (+87.7%) | Up 37,447 places |
| 2020 | #59,374 | 368 | 0.12 | +64 bearers (+21.1%) | Up 5,870 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 Ceylan 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 | #65,244 | #59,374 | 9.0% |
| Count | 304 | 368 | 21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.12 | 23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ceylan bearers went from 304 to 368 (+21.1% change). The surname moved up 5,870 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,244 to #59,374.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ceylan
FAQ
Ceylan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ceylan?
Name Census estimates that about 422 living Americans carry the surname Ceylan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 812,214 residents.
How common is Ceylan?
Ceylan ranks #59,374 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 368 people with the surname Ceylan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (422), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Ceylan.
Has Ceylan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ceylan went from 304 recorded bearers to 368. That is an increase of 64 (+21.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #65,244 to #59,374.
What does the Census say about the background of Ceylan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ceylan, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Ceylan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (344 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ceylan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Black (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%). 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 Ceylan (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 Ceylan mean?
A Turkish surname derived from the Persian word meaning "deer". 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 Ceylan (0.12 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 share the surname Ceylan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.