2000
#665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,713
First available Census row
Per 100,000 17.32
Common Last name
Khan
A surname of Turkic and Mongolic origin meaning "ruler" or "leader", also used as a title for a sovereign or military leader.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116,702 Americans carry the last name Khan. That puts it at #303 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 34.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,937 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Khan 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 Khan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
117K
1 in 2,937
Census rank
#303
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
34.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101,770 bearers of the surname Khan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 34.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 303rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Khan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Khan
The surname KHAN has its origins in Central Asia and is derived from the Turkic and Mongolic word "Khan" which means "ruler" or "leader". This name is closely associated with the Mongol Empire and the various Khanates that emerged from it.
The KHAN surname can be traced back to the 13th century during the reign of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. The name was initially used to denote the rulers and leaders of the Mongol tribes, and it gradually became a hereditary title passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KHAN surname appears in the writings of Marco Polo, the famous Venetian explorer, who traveled through the Mongol Empire in the late 13th century. He documented the names and titles of various Khans he encountered during his journey.
In the 14th century, the KHAN surname was widely used among the ruling elite of the Golden Horde, the Mongol Khanate that ruled over vast territories in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Prominent figures such as Batu Khan (c. 1205-1255), the founder of the Golden Horde, and Berke Khan (c. 1209-1266), his successor, bore this surname.
As the Mongol Empire fragmented, the KHAN surname spread across various regions, including Central Asia, Persia, and South Asia. In the 16th century, the Mughal Empire in India was founded by Babur (1483-1530), a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane), who bore the KHAN surname.
Another notable figure with the KHAN surname was Nader Shah (1688-1747), the founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia and one of the most powerful rulers of his time. He was known for his military campaigns and the expansion of Persian territories.
In the 19th century, the KHAN surname gained prominence in the Central Asian region, particularly in areas such as modern-day Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Prominent Khans of this period included Kenesary Khan (1802-1847), a Kazakh warrior and leader who fought against Russian expansion, and Alim Khan (1880-1944), the last Khan of Khiva, a Khanate in modern-day Uzbekistan.
Throughout history, the KHAN surname has been associated with leadership, power, and military prowess, reflecting its roots in the Mongol Empire and the various Khanates that emerged from it. While the surname has spread across different regions and cultures, its significance and prestige remain deeply rooted in Central Asian history and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Khan
Among Census respondents with the surname Khan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Khan 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 Khan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.6% · 85,035
- White5.5% · 5,605
- Two or more races5.2% · 5,316
- Black or African American3.1% · 3,203
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 2,206
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 405
Timeline
Historical Census data for Khan
Khan 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
#427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 76,171
+29,458 bearers (+63.1%)
Per 100,000 25.82
Rank movement Up 238 places
2020
#303
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101,770
+25,599 bearers (+33.6%)
Per 100,000 34.05
Rank movement Up 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #665 | 46,713 | 17.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #427 | 76,171 | 25.82 | +29,458 bearers (+63.1%) | Up 238 places |
| 2020 | #303 | 101,770 | 34.05 | +25,599 bearers (+33.6%) | Up 124 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 Khan 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 | #427 | #303 | 29.0% |
| Count | 76,171 | 101,770 | 33.6% |
| Per 100K | 25.82 | 34.05 | 31.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Khan bearers went from 76,171 to 101,770 (+33.6% change). The surname moved up 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #427 to #303.
FAQ
Khan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Khan?
Name Census estimates that about 116,702 living Americans carry the surname Khan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,937 residents.
How common is Khan?
Khan ranks #303 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 34.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 34 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101,770 people with the surname Khan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116,702), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 34.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 34.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 34 of them to have the surname Khan.
Has Khan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Khan went from 76,171 recorded bearers to 101,770. That is an increase of 25,599 (+33.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #427 to #303.
What does the Census say about the background of Khan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Khan, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.6%. The next largest groups are White (5.5%) and Two or More Races (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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Khan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.6% (85,035 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Khan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.6%), White (5.5%), Two or More Races (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 Khan (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 Khan mean?
A surname of Turkic and Mongolic origin meaning "ruler" or "leader", also used as a title for a sovereign or military leader. 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 Khan (34.05 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 Khan?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.