2000
#8,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,404
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.26
Rare Last name
Habib
Of Arabic origin, meaning "beloved," "friend," or referring to a person who is loved or adored.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,173 Americans carry the last name Habib. That puts it at #5,382 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,784 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Habib 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 Habib with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,784
Census rank
#5,382
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,255 bearers of the surname Habib in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5382nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Habib, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.2%) and Black (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Habib
The surname Habib has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the Arabic word "habib," which means beloved or darling. The name gained widespread usage among Muslim communities across the Middle East and North Africa.
Historically, the name Habib can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the early years of the Islamic era. It was a common practice for Arab families to adopt names that reflected their religious beliefs or cultural values. The name Habib, with its connotation of affection and endearment, became a popular choice among Muslim communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Habib can be found in the Sahih Bukhari, a renowned collection of hadiths (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad). The book mentions a companion of the Prophet named Habib ibn Abi Thabit, who lived in the 7th century AD.
During the medieval period, the name Habib appeared in various historical records and manuscripts across the Islamic world. For example, the 11th-century Persian scholar and poet, Habib Nayshaburi (born c. 1010 AD), was a prominent figure who bore this surname.
As the Islamic empires expanded, the name Habib spread to different regions, including parts of Europe. In the 13th century, a Muslim ruler named Habib ibn Muhammad al-Wazir governed the city of Valencia in present-day Spain.
In later centuries, the name Habib continued to be associated with influential personalities in various fields. One notable example is the 19th-century Egyptian scholar and reformer, Habib Efendi (1825-1894), who played a significant role in modernizing education in Egypt.
Other prominent individuals with the surname Habib include:
1. Habib Bourguiba (1903-2000), the first President of Tunisia and a leading figure in the Tunisian independence movement.
2. Habib Tanvir (1923-2009), an acclaimed Indian playwright, director, and actor known for his contributions to Hindi theatre.
3. Habib Girgis (born 1988), an American legal scholar and philosopher known for his writings on religious liberty and constitutional law.
4. Habib Siddiqui (born 1948), a Bangladeshi-American writer and activist who has written extensively on issues of human rights and social justice.
5. Habib Fanny (1908-1999), a renowned Algerian musician and composer known for his contributions to the Chaabi music genre.
It is worth noting that while the surname Habib has its roots in Arabic, it has been adopted and adapted by various cultures and communities around the world, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of people over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Habib
Among Census respondents with the surname Habib, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.2%) and Black (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Habib 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 Habib surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.3% · 3,332
- Asian and Pacific Islander32.2% · 2,011
- Black or African American7.1% · 447
- Two or more races4.4% · 278
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 177
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Habib
Habib 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
#6,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,932
+1,528 bearers (+44.9%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Up 2,014 places
2020
#5,382
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,255
+1,323 bearers (+26.8%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Up 1,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,850 | 3,404 | 1.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,836 | 4,932 | 1.67 | +1,528 bearers (+44.9%) | Up 2,014 places |
| 2020 | #5,382 | 6,255 | 2.09 | +1,323 bearers (+26.8%) | Up 1,454 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 Habib 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 | #6,836 | #5,382 | 21.3% |
| Count | 4,932 | 6,255 | 26.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 2.09 | 25.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Habib bearers went from 4,932 to 6,255 (+26.8% change). The surname moved up 1,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,836 to #5,382.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Habib
FAQ
Habib surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Habib?
Name Census estimates that about 7,173 living Americans carry the surname Habib. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,784 residents.
How common is Habib?
Habib ranks #5,382 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,255 people with the surname Habib. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Habib.
Has Habib become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Habib went from 4,932 recorded bearers to 6,255. That is an increase of 1,323 (+26.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,836 to #5,382.
What does the Census say about the background of Habib?
Among Census respondents with the surname Habib, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (32.2%) and Black (7.1%). 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 Habib in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.3% (3,332 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Habib appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (32.2%), Black (7.1%). 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 Habib (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 Habib mean?
Of Arabic origin, meaning "beloved," "friend," or referring to a person who is loved or adored. 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 Habib (2.09 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 surname Habib?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.