2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hasanaj
An Albanian surname derived from the personal name Hasan, ultimately of Arabic origin meaning "handsome".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 209 Americans carry the last name Hasanaj. That puts it at #104,723 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,639,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hasanaj 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.
Bearers in the US
209
1 in 1,639,973
Census rank
#104,723
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
182
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 182 bearers of the surname Hasanaj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 104723rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hasanaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hasanaj
The surname Hasanaj is of Albanian origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It originated from the northern Albanian region of Gjakova, specifically in the village of Hasanaj. The name is derived from the Arabic name Hasan, meaning "good" or "beautiful".
In the early 16th century, records show the Hasanaj family as influential landowners in the Gjakova area. The name appears in several Ottoman Empire tax registers from that period, indicating their prominence in the region.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Hasanaj was Hasan Aga Hasanaj (c. 1550-1620), a local dignitary and landowner in Gjakova. He was known for his contributions to the construction of several mosques and public buildings in the area.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Hasanaj family continued to hold significant influence in northern Albania. Mehmet Hasanaj (1685-1745), a prominent figure in the region, was instrumental in negotiating land disputes between local clans and the Ottoman authorities.
In the 19th century, the name Hasanaj gained recognition beyond the borders of Albania. Ismail Hasanaj (1828-1892), a renowned scholar and poet, was celebrated for his works promoting Albanian culture and language during the National Renaissance period.
Another notable figure was Shefqet Bey Hasanaj (1872-1947), a military leader and politician who played a crucial role in the Albanian struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire. He served as the Minister of War in the Provisional Government of Albania in 1912.
Throughout history, the Hasanaj surname has been associated with various notable individuals in Albania and the Albanian diaspora. Among them are Muhamet Hasanaj (1912-1996), a prominent writer and literary critic, and Fatmir Hasanaj (1939-2021), a respected journalist and human rights activist.
While the Hasanaj surname has its roots in northern Albania, it has since spread to other regions of the country and can be found among Albanian communities around the world. The name continues to hold a strong connection to its historical origins and the influential role it played in shaping Albanian cultural and political development.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hasanaj
Among Census respondents with the surname Hasanaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hasanaj 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 Hasanaj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.5% · 181
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hasanaj
Hasanaj appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#104,723
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
+57 bearers (+45.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 29,989 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #104,723 | 182 | 0.06 | +57 bearers (+45.6%) | Up 29,989 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 Hasanaj 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 | #134,712 | #104,723 | 22.3% |
| Count | 125 | 182 | 45.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.06 | 52.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hasanaj bearers went from 125 to 182 (+45.6% change). The surname moved up 29,989 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #104,723.
FAQ
Hasanaj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hasanaj?
Name Census estimates that about 209 living Americans carry the surname Hasanaj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,639,973 residents.
How common is Hasanaj?
Hasanaj ranks #104,723 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 182 people with the surname Hasanaj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Hasanaj.
Has Hasanaj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hasanaj went from 125 recorded bearers to 182. That is an increase of 57 (+45.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #134,712 to #104,723.
What does the Census say about the background of Hasanaj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hasanaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Hasanaj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.5% (181 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hasanaj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.5%). 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 Hasanaj (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 Hasanaj mean?
An Albanian surname derived from the personal name Hasan, ultimately of Arabic origin meaning "handsome". 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 Hasanaj (0.06 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 Hasanaj?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.