2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ancarrow
A locational surname derived from a place called Ancrow in Northumberland, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ancarrow. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ancarrow 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ancarrow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ancarrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ancarrow
The surname Ancarrow has its origins in Cornwall, England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Cornish place name "An Carrov," meaning "the deer park" or "the enclosed land." This suggests that the name may have been associated with an individual or family responsible for managing or residing near a deer park or enclosed area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ancarrow can be found in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall from the year 1284, where it is spelled as "Ankarhou." This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the medieval period in Cornwall.
The name Ancarrow has also been documented in various other historical records and manuscripts over the centuries. For instance, in the 16th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Cornwall, where it is listed as "Ankerowe."
Notable individuals with the surname Ancarrow throughout history include:
1. John Ancarrow (c. 1540-1610), a prominent landowner and merchant in Cornwall during the Elizabethan era.
2. William Ancarrow (1670-1745), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stratton in Cornwall.
3. Elizabeth Ancarrow (1720-1790), a renowned Cornish textile weaver and entrepreneur known for her exceptional skills in creating intricate tapestries.
4. Joseph Ancarrow (1785-1863), a Cornish mining engineer who played a significant role in the development of the Cornish mining industry during the Industrial Revolution.
5. Thomas Ancarrow (1835-1904), a renowned Cornish architect and builder responsible for designing several notable buildings in Cornwall, including churches and public structures.
While the surname Ancarrow is most commonly associated with Cornwall, it has also been found in other parts of England, particularly in neighboring counties like Devon and Somerset. Additionally, variations in the spelling of the name, such as "Ancarro" and "Ankarro," have been documented throughout history.
The Ancarrow surname holds a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and geographical landscape of Cornwall. Its origins can be traced back to the 13th century, and it has been carried by notable individuals across various professions and eras, contributing to the diverse tapestry of English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ancarrow
Among Census respondents with the surname Ancarrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ancarrow 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 Ancarrow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 107
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ancarrow
Ancarrow 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,385 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,753 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,385 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,753 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 Ancarrow 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 | #146,201 | #147,954 | -1.2% |
| Count | 113 | 112 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ancarrow bearers went from 113 to 112 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,753 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ancarrow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ancarrow?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ancarrow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ancarrow?
Ancarrow ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Ancarrow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Ancarrow.
Has Ancarrow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ancarrow went from 113 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ancarrow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ancarrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Ancarrow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ancarrow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Black (2.7%), Two or More Races (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 Ancarrow (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 Ancarrow mean?
A locational surname derived from a place called Ancrow in Northumberland, 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 Ancarrow (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 are called Ancarrow?
See how many people have the surname Ancarrow on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.