Explore the Family Name Hirsi

The meaning of Hirsi

Somali: from the personal name Hirsi, meaning ‘charm, protection’. It is also found in Kenya and Djibouti. Compare Hersi. — Note: Since Somalis traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, this name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Hirsi has become significantly more common in the United States over the past decade. In 2000, Hirsi was ranked as the 110,523rd most popular surname, but by 2010 it had jumped to the rank of 51,396th — a substantial increase of 53.5%. The number of individuals bearing the Hirsi surname also grew dramatically during this period, from 148 in 2000 to 405 in 2010 – an impressive rise of 173.65%. Moreover, for every 100,000 people in the U.S., the proportion named Hirsi increased from 0.05 to 0.14, marking a 180% upsurge.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#110,523	#51,396	53.5%
Count	148	405	173.65%
Proportion per 100k	0.05	0.14	180%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hirsi

The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Hirsi. In 2000, a significant portion of people with the Hirsi surname identified as Black (75%), with smaller percentages identifying as having two or more races (22.97%). However, by 2010, nearly all people named Hirsi (98.02%) identified as Black, indicating a 30.69% increase in this group. No significant numbers were recorded for the categories Asian/Pacific Islander, White, Hispanic, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either 2000 or 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Black	75%	98.02%	30.69%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Two or More Races	22.97%	0%	0%
White	0%	0%	0%
Hispanic	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%