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

Armstead, 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 Armstead surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Armstead in America

Armstead is the 4480th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Armstead surname appeared 7,919 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 Armstead.

We can also compare 2010 data for Armstead 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 Armstead

The surname Armstead originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'arm' meaning arm and 'stede' meaning place, likely referring to a hamlet or settlement located on a bend or arm of a river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Armstead can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where a Richard de Armestedehalle is mentioned. This suggests the name may have initially been associated with a specific place called Armstead Hall.

During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings such as Armestead, Armestede, and Armestedehalle, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.

In the 16th century, the Armstead surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lancashire and Cheshire. The Visitation of Cheshire in 1613 records a family bearing the Armstead coat of arms, indicating their established status in the region.

One notable bearer of the Armstead name was John Armstead (c. 1585-1660), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lancashire. Records show that he acquired substantial properties in the area and served as a Justice of the Peace.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Armstead (1642-1718), a successful businessman and Member of Parliament for Preston in the late 17th century. He played a significant role in the development of local industry and infrastructure.

In the 18th century, the Armstead family established roots in Yorkshire, where they owned estates and held positions of influence. William Armstead (1720-1795), a wealthy landowner and magistrate, was a notable figure from this branch of the family.

The 19th century saw the Armstead name spread further across England, with several individuals achieving distinction in various fields. One example is George Armstead (1819-1897), a renowned architect who designed several prominent buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.

Throughout its history, the Armstead surname has been borne by numerous individuals across various walks of life, from landed gentry to merchants, professionals, and public servants, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Armstead

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!