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

Ambler, 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 Ambler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ambler in America

Ambler is the 15020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ambler surname appeared 1,966 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ambler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ambler 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 Ambler

The surname Ambler originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'ambler', meaning a person who ambled or walked with a leisurely gait. The name was likely initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who had a distinct walking style.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Ambler can be found in various county records and tax rolls from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 mention a Robert le Amblour, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Johannes Ambler.

In the 15th century, the surname appears in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family of Norfolk. One letter from 1472 mentions a John Ambler, who was likely a servant or retainer of the Paston household.

During the Tudor period, the Ambler surname can be found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1524, which list a William Ambler. In the 16th century, the name was also associated with the village of Ambleside in Cumbria, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in that region.

Notable individuals with the surname Ambler include:

1. John Ambler (c. 1624-1668), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War.

2. Jacquetta Ambler (1697-1764), an English poet and writer who published several books of poetry and religious works.

3. Charles Ambler (1808-1898), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including St. Pancras Station.

4. Charles Henry Ambler (1876-1957), an American historian and author who wrote extensively on the history of West Virginia and the American South.

5. Eric Ambler (1909-1998), a renowned English novelist and screenwriter best known for his spy and thriller novels, including "The Mask of Dimitrios" and "Journey into Fear".

The Ambler surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Ambleside in Cumbria, Amberley in West Sussex, and Ambrosden in Oxfordshire, which may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the name over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ambler

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

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

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

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