2000
#6,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,544
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Annis
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval English personal name Anne or Agnes, meaning "grace" or "favor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,561 Americans carry the last name Annis. That puts it at #7,988 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,149 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Annis 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 Annis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,149
Census rank
#7,988
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,977 bearers of the surname Annis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7988th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Annis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Annis
The surname Annis is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Annis, which was a diminutive or pet form of the name Ann. The name Ann itself is a variant of the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favor".
Annis as a surname first appeared in the 13th century in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire. It is believed to have evolved from the Old English word "aennes", which meant "unity" or "oneness".
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Annis can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landholders in England. The name appears as "Annis de Bikenalre", referring to a person from Bicknaller, Somerset.
Another early reference to the Annis surname is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1327, where a certain Walter Annis is listed as a taxpayer.
In the 15th century, the Annis surname was particularly prevalent in the village of Dunster, Somerset. John Annis (c. 1420-1489) was a notable figure from this area, serving as the bailiff (chief officer) of Dunster Castle.
During the Tudor period, the Annis family established themselves as landowners and gentry in various parts of Somerset and Devon. Thomas Annis (1532-1599) was a wealthy merchant and landowner in the town of Taunton, Somerset.
In the 17th century, the Annis surname spread to other parts of England, including London. William Annis (1625-1698) was a prominent merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers in London.
In the 18th century, the Annis family had a strong presence in the county of Gloucestershire. Edward Annis (1701-1778) was a successful landowner and farmer in the village of Bibury, known for his contributions to local agriculture.
As the Annis surname continued to spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. One notable individual was John Annis (1767-1848), an early settler in New Hampshire who served in the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout history, the Annis surname has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, farmers, and military personnel. While not a widespread surname, it has maintained a consistent presence in various regions of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Annis
Among Census respondents with the surname Annis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Annis 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 Annis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 3,573
- Two or more races3.8% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 126
- Black or African American1.4% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Annis
Annis 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
#7,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,442
-102 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 673 places
2020
#7,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,977
-465 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 491 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,824 | 4,544 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,497 | 4,442 | 1.51 | -102 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 673 places |
| 2020 | #7,988 | 3,977 | 1.33 | -465 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 491 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 Annis 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 | #7,497 | #7,988 | -6.5% |
| Count | 4,442 | 3,977 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.33 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Annis bearers went from 4,442 to 3,977 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 491 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,497 to #7,988.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Annis
FAQ
Annis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Annis?
Name Census estimates that about 4,561 living Americans carry the surname Annis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,149 residents.
How common is Annis?
Annis ranks #7,988 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,977 people with the surname Annis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,561), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Annis.
Has Annis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Annis went from 4,442 recorded bearers to 3,977. That is a decrease of 465 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,497 to #7,988.
What does the Census say about the background of Annis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Annis, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Annis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (3,573 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Annis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Annis (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 Annis mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval English personal name Anne or Agnes, meaning "grace" or "favor." 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 Annis (1.33 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 Annis?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Annis at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.