Find out how popular the last name Airey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Airey.

Airey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Airey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Airey in America

Airey is the 33856th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Airey surname appeared 672 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Airey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Airey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Airey

The surname Airey originates from England and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "eyre," which referred to an air or a breeze, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived in an airy or windy place.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Airey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ayre." This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence during the Norman conquest of England.

In the 13th century, the name Airey was often associated with places such as Ayreshire in Scotland, which was originally spelled as "Ayrree." This connection suggests that the name may have been adopted by people who lived in or near these locations.

One notable bearer of the surname Airey was Sir George Airey (1786-1865), a British Army officer who served as the Quartermaster-General of the British Army during the Crimean War. He played a significant role in the successful defense of the strategically important city of Sevastopol.

Another prominent figure with the surname Airey was Sir John Airey (1805-1885), a British Army officer who served as the Quartermaster-General of the British Army in India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was recognized for his contributions to logistical operations during this significant historical event.

In the realm of literature, Anna Airey (1817-1858) was a British author and poet who wrote under the pen name "Acton Bell." She collaborated with her sisters, Charlotte and Emily Brontë, in the publication of a collection of poems in 1846.

Moving forward in time, Sir Richard Airey (1803-1881) was a British Army officer who served as the Governor of Gibraltar from 1865 to 1870. He played a crucial role in strengthening the defenses of this strategically important British territory.

Lastly, Joseph Airey (1833-1909) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Leeds, including the Leeds Corn Exchange and the Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, which are still standing today and considered architectural landmarks.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Airey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Airey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Airey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Airey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Airey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Airey, please contact us.

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