2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Amsbary
A locational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Amsbary. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Amsbary 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.
Bearers in the US
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Amsbary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Amsbary, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Amsbary
The surname Amsbary is believed to have originated in the region of Northamptonshire, England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from the old English place name "Annesborough" or a similar spelling variation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from the year 1198, which listed one William de Annesburgh. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms such as Amesburi, Amesbury, and Amsbury, reflecting the evolving spelling variations common during that era. The name is believed to have connections to the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, which was originally known as Annesburh or Ambresbury.
A notable early bearer of the surname was Sir John Amesbury, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He was recorded as participating in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
During the 16th century, the surname appeared in various parish records across Northamptonshire and neighboring counties. One example is the christening of Robert Amsbury in the parish of Towcester in 1578.
In the 17th century, the surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with examples including the marriage of Thomas Amsbery and Elizabeth Browne in Sulgrave, Northamptonshire in 1642.
Another notable figure with this surname was Robert Amsbary, a merchant and landowner who lived in Northampton during the late 17th century. He was recorded as owning several properties and businesses in the town.
By the 18th century, the surname had spread to other parts of the British Isles, with records showing individuals with the name Amsbury or Amsbary residing in Scotland and Ireland.
As the centuries progressed, the surname underwent various spelling variations, including Amsbery, Amesbury, Amsbury, and the modern form Amsbary. Despite these changes, the name maintained its connection to the original place name and its English origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Amsbary
Among Census respondents with the surname Amsbary, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Amsbary 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 Amsbary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 98
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Amsbary
Amsbary appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 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 Amsbary 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 | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Amsbary bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Amsbary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Amsbary?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Amsbary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Amsbary?
Amsbary ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Amsbary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Amsbary.
Has Amsbary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Amsbary went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Amsbary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Amsbary, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Amsbary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Amsbary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Amsbary (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 Amsbary mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in England. 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 Amsbary (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 many people have the last name Amsbary?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Amsbary on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.