2000
#11,416
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,532
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Addy
Derived from a nickname for Adam or from various place names with the Old English element "ēa" meaning "river."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,918 Americans carry the last name Addy. That puts it at #11,773 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Addy 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Addy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,462
Census rank
#11,773
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,545 bearers of the surname Addy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11773rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Addy, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Addy
The surname Addy originated in England, deriving from the Old English word "aedisc," which means "park" or "pasture." It was initially a place name that referred to a settlement or location near a park or pasture. The earliest recorded instance of this surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Adi" in Yorkshire.
During the medieval period, the name Addy was prevalent in various parts of Yorkshire, particularly in the West Riding area. Some historic records from the 13th century mention individuals with the surname Addy, such as Roger de Addi, who was recorded in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1260.
The name Addy has also been associated with place names like Addy Green and Addy House, which were located in the parish of Bingley, West Yorkshire. These place names derived from the Old English words "aedisc" and "grene," meaning "green pasture."
In the 16th century, the surname Addy appeared in various spellings, including Addie, Addye, and Adeye. One notable individual from this period was William Addy, born in 1566 in Yorkshire, who was a prominent landowner and local official.
During the 17th century, the Addy family established itself in the West Riding of Yorkshire, with several members holding positions of importance in local communities. One such individual was John Addy, born in 1620, who served as a magistrate and landowner in the area.
In the 18th century, the surname Addy spread beyond Yorkshire to other parts of England. Notable individuals from this period include Samuel Addy, born in 1742 in Derbyshire, who was a renowned clockmaker and inventor.
The 19th century saw the Addy surname gain further prominence, with individuals like Joseph Addy, born in 1830 in Yorkshire, who was a respected historian and author of works on local history and folklore.
Other noteworthy individuals with the surname Addy include William Addy, born in 1835 in Yorkshire, who was a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the region, and John Addy, born in 1848 in Lancashire, who was a successful industrialist and philanthropist.
Throughout its history, the surname Addy has maintained a strong connection to its Yorkshire roots, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields, including literature, architecture, and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Addy
Among Census respondents with the surname Addy, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Addy 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 Addy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.9% · 1,727
- Black or African American24.8% · 632
- Two or more races3.5% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Addy
Addy 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
#11,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,632
+100 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 478 places
2020
#11,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,545
-87 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,416 | 2,532 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,894 | 2,632 | 0.89 | +100 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 478 places |
| 2020 | #11,773 | 2,545 | 0.85 | -87 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 121 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 Addy 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 | #11,894 | #11,773 | 1.0% |
| Count | 2,632 | 2,545 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.85 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Addy bearers went from 2,632 to 2,545 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 121 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,894 to #11,773.
FAQ
Addy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Addy?
Name Census estimates that about 2,918 living Americans carry the surname Addy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,462 residents.
How common is Addy?
Addy ranks #11,773 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,545 people with the surname Addy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,918), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Addy.
Has Addy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Addy went from 2,632 recorded bearers to 2,545. That is a decrease of 87 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,894 to #11,773.
What does the Census say about the background of Addy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Addy, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Addy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.9% (1,727 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Addy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.9%), Black (24.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Addy (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 Addy mean?
Derived from a nickname for Adam or from various place names with the Old English element "ēa" meaning "river." 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 Addy (0.85 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 have the surname Addy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.