2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Arett
A variant of the English surname Arlett derived from a diminutive of the given name Arnold.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Arett. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arett 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Arett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arett, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arett
The surname Arett is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English personal name "Ærhyrt" or "Earnheart." This name was composed of the elements "earn," meaning eagle, and "heort," meaning heart, suggesting a person of courage or bravery.
Arett is thought to have been initially concentrated in the counties of Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, where some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found. One notable early reference is in the Subsidy Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1327, which mentions a John Aret.
The name also appears in various forms in historical documents, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it is recorded as "Ariet." Other early spellings include "Arette," "Arete," and "Arett," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in those times.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Arett, a landowner in Leicestershire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records from 1423. Another notable figure was John Arett, a prominent merchant from Northampton who was recorded in the town's Guild Rolls in the late 15th century.
During the Tudor period, the Arett family gained some prominence in the county of Warwickshire. Sir William Arett (1510-1575) was a distinguished courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held various positions under Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the name Arett was also found in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was Thomas Arett, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later settled in Maryland, where he became a landowner and prominent citizen.
Other notable individuals with the surname Arett include:
1. Robert Arett (1720-1795), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and was commended for his bravery in several battles.
2. Elizabeth Arett (1785-1860), an English author and poet who published several collections of verse and was known for her works on nature and rural life.
3. James Arett (1810-1892), a Scottish industrialist and inventor who developed several innovations in the textile industry and helped establish mills in Yorkshire and Lancashire.
4. Catherine Arett (1865-1945), an American educator and social reformer who founded several schools for underprivileged children in New York City and advocated for improved education and living conditions for the poor.
5. Henry Arett (1890-1965), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and other parts of England, including the iconic Arett House in Mayfair.
While the surname Arett is not among the most common in modern times, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is deeply rooted in the culture and heritage of England and the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arett
Among Census respondents with the surname Arett, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Arett 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 Arett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.4% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arett
Arett appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 483 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 Arett 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 | #150,452 | #150,935 | -0.3% |
| Count | 109 | 108 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arett bearers went from 109 to 108 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 483 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #150,935.
FAQ
Arett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arett?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Arett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Arett?
Arett ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Arett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Arett.
Has Arett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arett went from 109 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Arett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arett, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Arett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.4%), Hispanic (3.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Arett (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 Arett mean?
A variant of the English surname Arlett derived from a diminutive of the given name Arnold. 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 Arett (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 have the surname Arett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.