2000
#47,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 417
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Achorn
From the Old English "ac" and "horn," referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or oak-tree horn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 406 Americans carry the last name Achorn. That puts it at #61,280 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 844,223 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Achorn 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
406
1 in 844,223
Census rank
#61,280
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
354
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 354 bearers of the surname Achorn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61280th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Achorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Achorn
The surname ACHORN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from a place name or a descriptive word related to an oak tree or a valley. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Acorne" and "Akehorne" appeared in various records and documents across different regions of England. These early spellings suggest a connection to the Old English words "ac" meaning oak and "hyrne" meaning a corner or an angle, potentially referring to a location near an oak tree or a valley.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the ACHORN surname was John Achorn, who was born in Somerset, England, around 1320. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Records from this period also indicate that the name was prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Dorset.
As time passed, the spelling of the name evolved further, with variations such as "Achorne" and "Ackhorn" appearing in various historical documents and records. In the 16th century, a notable individual named William Achorn was born in 1542 in Devon, England, and served as a respected member of the local community.
During the 17th century, the ACHORN surname gained prominence in the New World as some members of the family emigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Nicholas Achorn, who was born in 1645 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and became a prominent figure in the community.
Another notable individual was Captain Samuel Achorn, who was born in 1712 in Boston, Massachusetts. He served as a captain in the British Royal Navy and played a significant role in various naval engagements during the 18th century.
Throughout the 19th century, the ACHORN surname continued to be documented in various regions of the United States, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions in various fields, such as politics, business, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Achorn
Among Census respondents with the surname Achorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Achorn 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 Achorn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 327
- Two or more races4.8% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Achorn
Achorn 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
#51,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 405
-12 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 3,661 places
2020
#61,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 354
-51 bearers (-12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 9,884 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #47,735 | 417 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #51,396 | 405 | 0.14 | -12 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 3,661 places |
| 2020 | #61,280 | 354 | 0.12 | -51 bearers (-12.6%) | Down 9,884 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 Achorn 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 | #51,396 | #61,280 | -19.2% |
| Count | 405 | 354 | -12.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.12 | -15.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Achorn bearers went from 405 to 354 (-12.6% change). The surname moved down 9,884 positions in the national ranking, going from #51,396 to #61,280.
FAQ
Achorn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Achorn?
Name Census estimates that about 406 living Americans carry the surname Achorn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 844,223 residents.
How common is Achorn?
Achorn ranks #61,280 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 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 354 people with the surname Achorn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 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 Achorn.
Has Achorn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Achorn went from 405 recorded bearers to 354. That is a decrease of 51 (-12.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #51,396 to #61,280.
What does the Census say about the background of Achorn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Achorn, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Achorn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (327 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Achorn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Achorn (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 Achorn mean?
From the Old English "ac" and "horn," referring to someone who lived near an oak tree or oak-tree horn. 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 Achorn (0.12 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 Achorn?
Want to know how many people are called Achorn? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.