Explore the Family Name Kayani

The meaning of Kayani

Muslim (Pakistan): from the name of a Pakistani clan that traces its origin to the semi-legendary Kayanian royal dynasty of Iran (see Kiani).

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kayani has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Kayani was ranked as the 108,734th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had risen to the 77,788th position, marking a change of 28.46%. The number of individuals carrying this surname also increased from 151 in 2000 to 246 in 2010, indicating a growth of 62.91%. Consequently, the proportion of people named Kayani per 100,000 population rose by 33.33% during the same period.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#108,734	#77,788	28.46%
Count	151	246	62.91%
Proportion per 100k	0.06	0.08	33.33%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kayani

As for the ethnic identity associated with the surname Kayani, again referencing the Decennial U.S. Census data, there appeared to be a notable shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 66.89% of those with the Kayani surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander. By 2010, this figure had grown to 87.40%, showing a change of 30.66%. On the other hand, the percentage of Kayanis identifying as White decreased from 11.26% in 2000 to 7.72% in 2010, a reduction of 31.44%. Similarly, those identifying as Black dropped from 3.97% to 2.03%, a decrease of 48.87%. No Kayanis identified as Hispanic or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. Interestingly, the group identifying as 'Two or more races', which made up 15.23% in 2000, was not present in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Asian/Pacific Islander	66.89%	87.4%	30.66%
White	11.26%	7.72%	-31.44%
Black	3.97%	2.03%	-48.87%
Two or More Races	15.23%	0%	0%
Hispanic	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%