2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Airy
Derived from a place name meaning "eagle's island" in Old English or from the Middle English word "airy," meaning "breezy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Airy. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Airy 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 Airy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Airy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Airy, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Airy
The surname Airy originates from England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ēar," meaning a dwelling or a homestead. Alternatively, it may have stemmed from the Old French word "aire," which translates to a grange or a threshing floor.
In its earliest recorded form, the name was often spelled as "Aire" or "Ayre." This spelling variation can be found in various medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where one John de Ayre is mentioned.
The Airy surname is closely associated with several place names in England, such as Airy Hill in Yorkshire and Airy Holme in Lancashire. These locations may have influenced the name's evolution or provided a geographical reference for early bearers.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Airy surname can be traced back to Thomas Airy, who was born in 1681 in Kilkhampton, Cornwall. He later became a renowned clergyman and served as the Vicar of Buntingford, Hertfordshire.
Sir George Biddell Airy (1801-1892) was a prominent figure in the field of astronomy and mathematics. He served as the Astronomer Royal from 1835 to 1881 and made significant contributions to the understanding of planetary motion and the Earth's magnetic field.
Another notable person with the Airy surname was Anna Airy (1882-1964), a British physicist and mathematician. She worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment and played a crucial role in the development of aeronautical engineering during the early 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Willoughby Airy (1890-1971) was a renowned English novelist and playwright. His works included the novel "The Island" and the play "Golden Age," which explored themes of human nature and social commentary.
Lastly, Sir Richard Airy (1803-1858) was a prominent civil engineer and architect. He oversaw the construction of several notable structures, including the Tyne Docks in Newcastle upon Tyne and the Royal Albert Bridge in Cornwall.
While the Airy surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, leaving a lasting impact on history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Airy
Among Census respondents with the surname Airy, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Airy 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 Airy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.3% · 77
- Black or African American12.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.2% · 11
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Airy
Airy 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,151 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,972 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,151 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 3,972 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 Airy 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 | #154,907 | #150,935 | 2.6% |
| Count | 105 | 108 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Airy bearers went from 105 to 108 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 3,972 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #150,935.
FAQ
Airy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Airy?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Airy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Airy?
Airy ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Airy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Airy.
Has Airy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Airy went from 105 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Airy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Airy, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Black (12.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (10.2%). 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 Airy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.3% (77 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Airy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.3%), Black (12.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.2%). 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 Airy (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 Airy mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "eagle's island" in Old English or from the Middle English word "airy," meaning "breezy." 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 Airy (0.04 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 common is the surname Airy?
You can see how common the surname Airy is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.