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

Archer, 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 Archer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Archer in America

Archer is the 1000th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Archer surname appeared 34,949 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Archer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Archer 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 Archer

The surname Archer originated in England during the medieval period. It derived from the Old English word 'arche', meaning 'one who uses a bow and arrow'. The name initially referred to a skilled archer or bowman, employed as a soldier or hunter.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Archer appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with the name Archer were listed as landholders or tenants in various counties.

In the 12th century, the name Archer began to appear more frequently in historical records such as the Pipe Rolls, which were annual financial records maintained by the Exchequer. This suggests that by this time, the name had become established as a hereditary surname.

One notable early bearer of the name was Roger le Archer, who was recorded as a landowner in the county of Essex in 1210. Another early example is William Archer, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307).

The surname Archer is also associated with several place names in England, such as Archer's Court in Hampshire and Archer's Green in Buckinghamshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Archer who owned or lived in these locations.

Among the famous individuals with the surname Archer throughout history are:

1. John Archer (c. 1598-1682), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1628.
2. Thomas Archer (1668-1743), an English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including St. John's College in Cambridge.
3. William Archer (1856-1924), a Scottish critic and playwright who played a significant role in introducing the works of Henrik Ibsen to English audiences.
4. Jeffrey Archer (born 1940), a British novelist, former politician, and convicted perjurer, best known for his novels including "Kane and Abel" and "The Prodigal Daughter".
5. Anne Archer (born 1947), an American actress known for her roles in films such as "Fatal Attraction" and "Patriot Games".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Archer

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

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

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

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