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

Anonymous, 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 Anonymous surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Anonymous in America

Anonymous is the 131379th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Anonymous surname appeared 129 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 Anonymous.

We can also compare 2010 data for Anonymous 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 Anonymous

The surname ANONYMOUS has a unique and intriguing history that can be traced back to the early medieval period in Europe. It originated from the Latin word "anonymus," which means "nameless" or "without a name." This name was often used to refer to individuals whose identities were intentionally concealed or unknown for various reasons.

One of the earliest known references to the name ANONYMOUS can be found in ancient Greek and Roman texts, where it was used to attribute works to authors who wished to remain unnamed. In the Middle Ages, it was common for scribes and scholars to use the appellation "Anonymous" when copying or translating manuscripts of unknown authorship.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name ANONYMOUS appeared in various legal and administrative records across Europe. One notable example is the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, several entries refer to individuals simply as "Anonymous," indicating that their identities were either unknown or intentionally obscured.

As the use of surnames became more widespread in the late medieval period, ANONYMOUS began to be adopted as a hereditary family name. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Anon Anonymous, a merchant from Venice who lived in the early 15th century. Another notable figure was Anonym Anonymous, a monk and scholar from Bavaria who wrote several treatises on theology and philosophy in the late 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name ANONYMOUS gained prominence among writers and artists who sought to protect their identities for political or religious reasons. One such individual was the English poet and playwright known as the Anonymous Author, who composed several works critical of the monarchy during the reign of Elizabeth I.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname ANONYMOUS continued to be used by individuals who wished to maintain anonymity in their literary or artistic works. One example is the Anonyma Marchionis, a collection of satirical poems published in 1684, whose author remains unknown to this day.

In more recent times, the name ANONYMOUS has become associated with various social and political movements that embrace anonymity as a means of protecting individual privacy and freedom of expression. The hacktivist group known as Anonymous, which emerged in the early 2000s, is perhaps the most well-known example of this trend.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Anonymous

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

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

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

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