2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Uthman
A surname derived from the Arabic personal name Uthman, meaning "prosperity" or "wealth."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 229 Americans carry the last name Uthman. That puts it at #97,359 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,496,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Uthman 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
229
1 in 1,496,744
Census rank
#97,359
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
200
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 200 bearers of the surname Uthman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97359th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Uthman, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.5%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Uthman
The surname Uthman has its origins in the Arabic language and is derived from the personal name 'Uthman', which is a variant of the name 'Othman'. This name can be traced back to the early days of Islam and is believed to have its roots in the Arabian Peninsula.
The name Uthman is closely associated with the third Caliph of the Islamic Empire, Uthman ibn Affan, who ruled from 644 to 656 CE. He played a pivotal role in the early expansion of Islam and is revered as one of the most influential figures in Islamic history. His leadership and contributions to the compilation of the Quran have left an indelible mark on the Islamic faith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Uthman can be found in the historical records of the Abbasid Caliphate, which ruled from 750 to 1258 CE. During this period, the name was commonly used among the Arab population and can be found in various manuscripts and documents from that era.
In the 11th century, the Uthman family gained prominence in the region of Andalusia, which was then under Muslim rule. The city of Utrera in the Spanish province of Seville is believed to have derived its name from the Arabic word 'Uthman', indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname in the area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Uthman, including:
1. Al-Uthman ibn Abi al-Salt (d. 1036 CE), a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Basra, Iraq.
2. Uthman ibn Yahya al-Jazari (d. 1123 CE), a Muslim engineer and inventor from Jazirat ibn Umar, modern-day Turkey, known for his groundbreaking work on automated machinery.
3. Uthman ibn Ibrahim al-Nabulusi (1642-1716 CE), a prominent Sufi scholar and poet from Nablus, Palestine, whose works had a significant influence on Islamic mysticism.
4. Uthman dan Fodio (1754-1817 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar, religious leader, and revolutionary from the Sokoto Caliphate in present-day Nigeria, who played a crucial role in the revival of Islam in West Africa.
5. Uthman Baghgoggo (1857-1944 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and teacher from the Sokoto Caliphate, known for his contributions to the spread of education in northern Nigeria.
It is worth noting that the surname Uthman has undergone various spellings and variations over the centuries, including Othman, Osman, and Usman, reflecting regional and linguistic differences across the vast expanse of the Islamic world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Uthman
Among Census respondents with the surname Uthman, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.5%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Uthman 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 Uthman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.5% · 91
- Black or African American39.5% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 8
- Two or more races4.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Uthman
Uthman 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
#105,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
+29 bearers (+20.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 9,773 places
2020
#97,359
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 200
+30 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 7,720 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #105,079 | 170 | 0.06 | +29 bearers (+20.6%) | Up 9,773 places |
| 2020 | #97,359 | 200 | 0.07 | +30 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 7,720 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 Uthman 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 | #105,079 | #97,359 | 7.3% |
| Count | 170 | 200 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Uthman bearers went from 170 to 200 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 7,720 positions in the national ranking, going from #105,079 to #97,359.
FAQ
Uthman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Uthman?
Name Census estimates that about 229 living Americans carry the surname Uthman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,496,744 residents.
How common is Uthman?
Uthman ranks #97,359 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 200 people with the surname Uthman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Uthman.
Has Uthman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Uthman went from 170 recorded bearers to 200. That is an increase of 30 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #105,079 to #97,359.
What does the Census say about the background of Uthman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Uthman, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.5%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Uthman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.5% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Uthman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.5%), Black (39.5%), Hispanic (7.0%). 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 Uthman (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 Uthman mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic personal name Uthman, meaning "prosperity" or "wealth." 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 Uthman (0.07 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 Uthman?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Uthman at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.