Explore the Family Name Hanif

The meaning of Hanif

Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic ḥanīf ‘upright, honorable’, used by Muslims to denote a true believer in Islam. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Mohammed, Mohamed, Muhammad, Ehtesham, Aamir, Abdelaziz, Abdul, Aleem, Amjad, Bibi, Faisal.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Hanif in the United States?

According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Hanif has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Hanif was ranked 28,005th in terms of its prevalence, with a count of 806 bearers in the country. However, by 2010 the rank had improved to 20,382, representing an uptick of 27.22%. The count of individuals bearing the surname also grew to 1,304, marking a notable increase of 61.79%. Consequently, the proportion of Hanifs per 100,000 people rose from 0.3 to 0.44, indicating a growth rate of 46.67%.

20002010Change
Rank#28,005#20,38227.22%
Count8061,30461.79%
Proportion per 100k0.30.4446.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hanif

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity of individuals bearing the surname Hanif. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a significant increase in the percentage of Hanifs identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, moving from 57.20% to 71.93%. Conversely, those identifying as two or more races decreased drastically from 20.72% to 7.06%. Similarly, individuals identifying as Black dropped from 11.66% to 9.74%. The proportion of Hanifs identifying as White remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 7.69% to 7.06%. Meanwhile, the Hispanic population saw a modest increase from 1.99% to 2.61%, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native population experienced a significant rise from 0.74% to 1.61%.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander57.2%71.93%25.75%
Black11.66%9.74%-16.47%
Two or More Races20.72%7.06%-65.93%
White7.69%7.06%-8.19%
Hispanic1.99%2.61%31.16%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.74%1.61%117.57%