Explore the Family Name Qayyum

The meaning of Qayyum

Muslim (mainly Pakistan): from a personal name based on Arabic qayyūm ‘self-subsisting’. Al-Qayyūm ‘the Self-Subsisting One’ is an attribute of Allah (the attribute that imparts coherence to the world and keeps everything in its place), giving rise to the compound name ʿAbdul-Qayyūm ‘servant of the Self-Subsisting One’.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Qayyum has shown noticeable growth from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 85,643 but by 2010 it had jumped up to rank 61,745, showing a 27.9% increase in popularity. Furthermore, individuals carrying the surname Qayyum increased from 203 in 2000 to 325 in 2010, indicating a significant 60.1% rise. The proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 also grew by 37.5% over this decade.

20002010Change
Rank#85,643#61,74527.9%
Count20332560.1%
Proportion per 100k0.080.1137.5%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Qayyum

When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that a majority of individuals with the last name Qayyum identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, making up 87.69% of the group in 2010, compared to 76.35% in 2000. This represents a 14.85% change. Those identifying as two or more races saw a major decrease, dropping from 14.29% in 2000 to just 2.77% in 2010. White individuals accounted for around 5.23% of the population in 2010, slightly up from 4.93% in 2000. The representation of Hispanics within this surname group also appeared in 2010, standing at 1.54%, while there was no data for this group in 2000. Meanwhile, the percentage of Black individuals decreased by 6.42%, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained unchanged.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander76.35%87.69%14.85%
White4.93%5.23%6.09%
Two or More Races14.29%2.77%-80.62%
Black2.96%2.77%-6.42%
Hispanic0%1.54%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%