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

Arbor, 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 Arbor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arbor in America

Arbor is the 109258th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arbor surname appeared 162 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 Arbor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arbor 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 Arbor

The surname ARBOR is of English origin, derived from the Latin word "arbor," which means "tree." It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in England during the 12th or 13th century.

The name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near a prominent tree or a wooded area. It may have also been used as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a forester or a woodsman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ARBOR can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1199, which mention a Roger de Arbor. The name also appears in various medieval records and documents, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which list a John Arbor.

In the 14th century, the surname ARBOR was sometimes spelled as Arber or Arbour, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. The name may have been associated with certain place names, such as Arborfield in Berkshire or Arbor Fields in Yorkshire.

Notable individuals who bore the surname ARBOR include Edward Arber (1836-1912), an English scholar and literary critic who specialized in the study of English literature and language. Another prominent figure was John Arber (1572-1654), an English Protestant minister and author who wrote several religious works.

In the 16th century, a family by the name of Arbor resided in the village of Great Tew in Oxfordshire. One member of this family, John Arbor (1533-1601), was a successful merchant and landowner.

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a soldier named Robert Arbor (1615-1690) fought on the Parliamentarian side and later became a prominent figure in the local government of Worcestershire.

The surname ARBOR has also been associated with various places and landmarks throughout England, such as Arbor Close in Essex, Arbor Hill in Northamptonshire, and Arbor Cottage in Warwickshire, reflecting the name's connection to trees and wooded areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arbor

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

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

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

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