2000
#831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 37,833
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.02
Uncommon Last name
Shah
A Persian surname indicating royal lineage or exalted status, derived from the Old Persian word for "king."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 88,132 Americans carry the last name Shah. That puts it at #413 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 25.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,889 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shah 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 Shah with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
88K
1 in 3,889
Census rank
#413
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
25.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
77K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 76,855 bearers of the surname Shah in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 25.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 413th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shah
The surname Shah originates from the Persian language and is believed to have its roots dating back to the ancient Persian Empire, which ruled over a vast territory spanning from modern-day Iran to parts of Central Asia and the Middle East between the 6th century BCE and 7th century CE.
The word "Shah" itself is derived from the Old Persian word "Xšāyaθiya," which means "king" or "sovereign." It was initially used as a title for the Persian monarchs and later evolved into a surname for individuals associated with royalty or those in positions of power and authority.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Shah can be found in ancient Persian inscriptions and manuscripts dating back to the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BCE). One notable example is the Behistun Inscription, carved into the rock face of Mount Behistun in modern-day Iran during the reign of King Darius I (522-486 BCE).
The surname gained prominence during the Sassanid Empire (224-651 CE), when it became more widely adopted by members of the ruling class and nobility. One of the most famous individuals bearing the surname Shah from this period was Khosrow I, also known as Anushirvan the Just (531-579 CE), who is widely regarded as one of the greatest Persian rulers.
During the Islamic period, the surname Shah continued to be associated with royalty and aristocracy, particularly among the ruling dynasties of various Persian empires, such as the Safavids (1501-1736 CE) and the Qajars (1785-1925 CE). Notable figures from this era include Shah Ismail I (1487-1524 CE), the founder of the Safavid dynasty, and Nader Shah Afshar (1688-1747 CE), a powerful military leader who briefly ruled over a vast empire stretching from the Caucasus to the Indian subcontinent.
Outside of Persia, the surname Shah also became prevalent in regions that were influenced by Persian culture and language, such as parts of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Caucasus region. For example, the Mughal Empire (1526-1857 CE) in the Indian subcontinent was ruled by a dynasty that traced its lineage back to the Timurids and frequently used the title "Shah" in their names, such as Shah Jahan (1592-1666 CE), the builder of the Taj Mahal.
In modern times, the surname Shah continues to be widely used in various parts of the world, particularly among individuals of Persian, Central Asian, or South Asian descent. Some notable individuals with the surname Shah include the late Idries Shah (1924-1996 CE), a renowned writer and scholar of Sufism, and the celebrated Indian musician and composer Ravi Shankar (1920-2012 CE).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shah
Among Census respondents with the surname Shah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Shah 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 Shah surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander91.8% · 70,525
- White3.4% · 2,638
- Two or more races2.9% · 2,229
- Black or African American0.8% · 619
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 613
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 231
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shah
Shah 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
#573
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 58,287
+20,454 bearers (+54.1%)
Per 100,000 19.76
Rank movement Up 258 places
2020
#413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 76,855
+18,568 bearers (+31.9%)
Per 100,000 25.71
Rank movement Up 160 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #831 | 37,833 | 14.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #573 | 58,287 | 19.76 | +20,454 bearers (+54.1%) | Up 258 places |
| 2020 | #413 | 76,855 | 25.71 | +18,568 bearers (+31.9%) | Up 160 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 Shah 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 | #573 | #413 | 27.9% |
| Count | 58,287 | 76,855 | 31.9% |
| Per 100K | 19.76 | 25.71 | 30.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shah bearers went from 58,287 to 76,855 (+31.9% change). The surname moved up 160 positions in the national ranking, going from #573 to #413.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Shah
FAQ
Shah surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shah?
Name Census estimates that about 88,132 living Americans carry the surname Shah. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,889 residents.
How common is Shah?
Shah ranks #413 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 25.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 26 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 76,855 people with the surname Shah. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (88,132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 25.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 25.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 26 of them to have the surname Shah.
Has Shah become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shah went from 58,287 recorded bearers to 76,855. That is an increase of 18,568 (+31.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #573 to #413.
What does the Census say about the background of Shah?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shah, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 91.8%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Shah in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (70,525 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shah appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (91.8%), White (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Shah (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 Shah mean?
A Persian surname indicating royal lineage or exalted status, derived from the Old Persian word for "king." 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 Shah (25.71 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 Shah?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.