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

Amberson, 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 Amberson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amberson in America

Amberson is the 40610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amberson surname appeared 538 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 Amberson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Amberson 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 Amberson

The surname "AMBERSON" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. It is derived from the Old English words "amber" and "tun," which together mean "amber-colored settlement" or "amber village." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived in a village or town where the buildings or landscape had an amber-like hue.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Amberton in the county of Lincolnshire. This spelling variation, "Amberton," further reinforces the connection between the name and the concept of a settlement or town.

In the 13th century, there are references to individuals with the surname "Amberson" in various historical records from Yorkshire. For instance, a man named Robert Amberson is mentioned in the Yorkshire Assize Rolls of 1246. Another notable example is William Amberson, who was a landowner in the village of Beverley, Yorkshire, in the late 1200s.

As the name spread across England, it evolved into different spellings, such as "Amberson," "Ambresone," and "Amberston." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling practices during that era.

One of the earliest individuals of note with the surname "Amberson" was Sir John Amberson, a knight who lived in the 14th century. He served as a member of the English Parliament and represented the county of Lincolnshire in the House of Commons during the reign of King Edward III.

Another prominent figure bearing this surname was Richard Amberson, an English scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and contributed significantly to the field of theology through his writings and teachings.

In the 16th century, the name "Amberson" gained further recognition with the emergence of William Amberson, a merchant and businessman from London. He was involved in the English cloth trade and established a successful business exporting wool and textiles to continental Europe.

During the 17th century, the name "Amberson" appeared in various records related to the English Civil War. One notable example is Captain Thomas Amberson, who served as a Cavalier officer in the Royalist army fighting for King Charles I against the Parliamentarians.

Throughout its history, the surname "Amberson" has been associated with various places in England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. For instance, there is a village called Amberson in Leicestershire, which may have derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amberson

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

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 Amberson 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 Amberson 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 Amberson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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