2000
#7,790
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,935
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Armitage
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hermitage" or "monastery" in Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,557 Americans carry the last name Armitage. That puts it at #7,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 75,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Armitage 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 Armitage with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 75,215
Census rank
#7,999
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,974 bearers of the surname Armitage in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7999th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Armitage, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Armitage
The surname Armitage is of English origin, deriving from the Old French words "armure" meaning armor and "atache" meaning fastening. It is thought to have originated as an occupational name for an armor-maker or armorer during the medieval period.
One of the earliest known records of the Armitage name dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, where it was spelled "Armurier". The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, spelled "Armurer".
In the 14th century, the spelling "Armytage" was recorded in Yorkshire, indicating the name's connection to the local area. The surname is believed to have originated in the West Riding of Yorkshire, where several places bear the name, such as Armitage Bridge near Huddersfield.
Notably, the Armitage surname is mentioned in the celebrated Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This early reference demonstrates the name's long-standing presence in English history.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Armitage surname was John Armytage, who was born around 1300 in Yorkshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1346.
Another notable figure was Sir John Armytage (1480-1545), who was a member of the English gentry and served as the High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1532. His family owned extensive lands in Yorkshire and were influential in the region.
Sir Lionel Armitage (1532-1608) was a respected English judge who served as the Chief Baron of the Exchequer in the late 16th century. He was born in Yorkshire and played a significant role in the legal system of his time.
Edmund Armitage (1587-1651) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of King's College, Cambridge, from 1636 until his death. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England and made valuable contributions to the field of education.
In the 19th century, Edward Armitage (1817-1896) was a renowned English historical painter who gained recognition for his works depicting scenes from literature and history. His paintings can be found in various galleries and museums around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Armitage
Among Census respondents with the surname Armitage, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Armitage 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 Armitage surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 3,549
- Two or more races4.6% · 181
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
- Black or African American0.7% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Armitage
Armitage 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
#8,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,063
+128 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 372 places
2020
#7,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,974
-89 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 163 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,790 | 3,935 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,162 | 4,063 | 1.38 | +128 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 372 places |
| 2020 | #7,999 | 3,974 | 1.33 | -89 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 163 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 Armitage 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 | #8,162 | #7,999 | 2.0% |
| Count | 4,063 | 3,974 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.33 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Armitage bearers went from 4,063 to 3,974 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 163 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,162 to #7,999.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Armitage
FAQ
Armitage surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Armitage?
Name Census estimates that about 4,557 living Americans carry the surname Armitage. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 75,215 residents.
How common is Armitage?
Armitage ranks #7,999 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 3,974 people with the surname Armitage. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,557), 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 Armitage.
Has Armitage become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Armitage went from 4,063 recorded bearers to 3,974. That is a decrease of 89 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,162 to #7,999.
What does the Census say about the background of Armitage?
Among Census respondents with the surname Armitage, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Armitage in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (3,549 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Armitage appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Armitage (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 Armitage mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "hermitage" or "monastery" in Old French. 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 Armitage (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 Americans have the surname Armitage?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.