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

Armour, 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 Armour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Armour in America

Armour is the 4366th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Armour surname appeared 8,139 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Armour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Armour 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 Armour

The surname Armour is of English and Scottish origin, derived from the Old French word "armure" meaning armor or protective covering. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for those who made or sold armor, or for soldiers who wore armor in battle.

The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the late 12th century in England. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William le Armurer, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195. The name was also found in Scotland in the 13th century, with a Robert le Armurer appearing in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

In the 14th century, the surname was often spelled as Armurer or Armourer, reflecting its occupational origins. The variant spelling Armour became more common in the 16th century, as the name evolved from its occupational roots to become a hereditary surname.

Notable historical figures with the surname Armour include Sir John Armour (1568-1650), a Scottish merchant and politician who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Another notable bearer was William Armour (1730-1783), a Scottish poet and writer who was a contemporary of Robert Burns.

In England, the surname Armour was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire. In Scotland, it was found in the regions of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Armour throughout history include:

1. Jonathan Armour (1750-1835), a Scottish-American merchant and businessman who founded the Armour Family business dynasty.

2. Philip Armour (1832-1901), an American industrialist and founder of the Armour Meat Packing Company.

3. Norman Armour (1887-1982), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Sedgefield.

4. Reginald Armour (1906-1976), a British actor and playwright known for his work in the theatre.

5. Richard Armour (1906-1989), an American author and humorist, best known for his satirical writings on topics such as poetry and grammar.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Armour

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

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

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

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