2000
#9,442
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,159
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Uncommon Last name
Hussein
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "good," "handsome," or "beautiful."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,683 Americans carry the last name Hussein. That puts it at #2,583 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,855 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hussein 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 Hussein with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,855
Census rank
#2,583
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,676 bearers of the surname Hussein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2583rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hussein, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (40.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hussein
The surname Hussein originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabian Peninsula. It traces its roots back to the 7th century AD, during the early days of Islam. The name is derived from the Arabic word "Husayn," which means "good" or "handsome."
One of the earliest known references to the name Hussein can be found in the historical accounts of the Battle of Karbala, which took place in 680 AD. In this battle, Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, was martyred along with his family and companions. This event holds great significance in Shia Islam and has contributed to the widespread adoption of the name Hussein among Muslims, particularly in the Shia community.
The earliest recorded examples of the surname Hussein date back to the 8th century AD, when it began appearing in various Arabic manuscripts and records. During this time, the name was often associated with individuals from prominent families or those with a strong religious or scholarly background.
In the centuries that followed, the surname Hussein spread across the Middle East and parts of North Africa, carried by traders, scholars, and travelers. It is believed that the name was introduced to other regions, such as South Asia and parts of Europe, through the expansion of Islamic empires and the migration of people.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Hussein. One of the most prominent was Taha Hussein (1889-1973), an Egyptian writer, novelist, and intellectual who played a significant role in the renaissance of modern Arabic literature. Another notable figure was Saddam Hussein (1937-2006), the former president of Iraq, whose controversial rule and policies had a lasting impact on the country and the region.
Other notable individuals with the surname Hussein include:
1. Zaki al-Arsuzi (1899-1968), a Syrian political theorist and philosopher.
2. Mahmoud Hussein (born 1946), a Sudanese writer and novelist.
3. Yasir Hussain (born 1980), a Pakistani actor and comedian.
4. Hussein Chalayan (born 1970), a British-Turkish Cypriot fashion designer.
5. Alia Hussain Pandor (born 1954), a South African politician and academic.
The surname Hussein has also been associated with various place names and geographical locations, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Some examples include Hussein Dey, a town in Algeria, and Hussein Qalah, a village in Afghanistan.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hussein
Among Census respondents with the surname Hussein, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (40.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hussein 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 Hussein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.8% · 6,543
- White40.7% · 5,570
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.2% · 716
- Two or more races4.4% · 601
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 221
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hussein
Hussein 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
#4,903
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,182
+4,023 bearers (+127.4%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Up 4,539 places
2020
#2,583
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,676
+6,494 bearers (+90.4%)
Per 100,000 4.58
Rank movement Up 2,320 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,442 | 3,159 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,903 | 7,182 | 2.43 | +4,023 bearers (+127.4%) | Up 4,539 places |
| 2020 | #2,583 | 13,676 | 4.58 | +6,494 bearers (+90.4%) | Up 2,320 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 Hussein 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 | #4,903 | #2,583 | 47.3% |
| Count | 7,182 | 13,676 | 90.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.43 | 4.58 | 88.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hussein bearers went from 7,182 to 13,676 (+90.4% change). The surname moved up 2,320 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,903 to #2,583.
FAQ
Hussein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hussein?
Name Census estimates that about 15,683 living Americans carry the surname Hussein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,855 residents.
How common is Hussein?
Hussein ranks #2,583 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.58 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,676 people with the surname Hussein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,683), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.58 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Hussein.
Has Hussein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hussein went from 7,182 recorded bearers to 13,676. That is an increase of 6,494 (+90.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,903 to #2,583.
What does the Census say about the background of Hussein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hussein, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.8%. The next largest groups are White (40.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hussein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.8% (6,543 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hussein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.8%), White (40.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.2%). 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 Hussein (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 Hussein mean?
A surname of Arabic origin meaning "good," "handsome," or "beautiful." 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 Hussein (4.58 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 are called Hussein?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Hussein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.