2000
#204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129,982
First available Census row
Per 100,000 48.18
Common Last name
Armstrong
A surname of Scottish origin meaning someone with strong arms or a strong arm, likely an archer or warrior.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 148,875 Americans carry the last name Armstrong. That puts it at #221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 43.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,302 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Armstrong 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 Armstrong with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
149K
1 in 2,302
Census rank
#221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
43.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
130K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 129,826 bearers of the surname Armstrong in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 43.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Armstrong, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Armstrong
The surname Armstrong has its origins in the Scottish Borders region, along the English-Scottish border. It is derived from the Old English words "arm" meaning "arm" and "strong" meaning "strong." The name likely referred to someone of great physical strength or a skilled warrior.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The rolls mention Aleyn Armstrong and Laurence Armestrange, two early spellings of the name.
The Armstrong clan was particularly prominent in the Borders region during the 13th to 16th centuries. They were known as a powerful and formidable clan, often involved in conflicts along the border. The Armstrong stronghold was located at Mangerton Tower in Liddesdale.
In the 16th century, the Armstrongs were branded as outlaws by King James V of Scotland due to their involvement in cross-border raids and feuds. Many Armstrongs were subsequently hanged or exiled, leading to the dispersal of the clan throughout Scotland and Northern England.
One of the earliest recorded Armstrongs was Gilnockie Armstrong, also known as Johnnie Armstrong, a famous border reiver (cattle raider) from the late 15th century. He was eventually captured and executed in 1530 by King James V for his raiding activities.
Another notable figure was Archibald Armstrong, born around 1555, who served as the Court Fool or Jester to King James I of England. He was known for his wit and humor, and his role as a court jester was an esteemed position at the time.
In the 17th century, Sir Thomas Armstrong, born in 1633, was a prominent English soldier and politician. He was involved in the Rye House Plot to assassinate King Charles II and was later executed for treason in 1684.
The Armstrong name also has ties to the village of Cragside in Northumberland, England. William Armstrong, born in 1810, was a successful industrialist and inventor who built the grand Cragside Estate, which became the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectric power.
Neil Armstrong, born in 1930, is perhaps the most famous Armstrong in modern history. He was an American astronaut and the first person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, famously declaring, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Armstrong
Among Census respondents with the surname Armstrong, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Armstrong 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 Armstrong surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.7% · 90,431
- Black or African American20.4% · 26,528
- Two or more races4.5% · 5,843
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4,983
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1,144
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 897
Timeline
Historical Census data for Armstrong
Armstrong 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
#213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135,044
+5,062 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 45.78
Rank movement Down 9 places
2020
#221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129,826
-5,218 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 43.43
Rank movement Down 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #204 | 129,982 | 48.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #213 | 135,044 | 45.78 | +5,062 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 9 places |
| 2020 | #221 | 129,826 | 43.43 | -5,218 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 8 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 Armstrong 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 | #213 | #221 | -3.8% |
| Count | 135,044 | 129,826 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 45.78 | 43.43 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Armstrong bearers went from 135,044 to 129,826 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #213 to #221.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Armstrong
FAQ
Armstrong surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Armstrong?
Name Census estimates that about 148,875 living Americans carry the surname Armstrong. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,302 residents.
How common is Armstrong?
Armstrong ranks #221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 43.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 43 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 129,826 people with the surname Armstrong. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (148,875), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 43.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 43.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 43 of them to have the surname Armstrong.
Has Armstrong become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Armstrong went from 135,044 recorded bearers to 129,826. That is a decrease of 5,218 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #213 to #221.
What does the Census say about the background of Armstrong?
Among Census respondents with the surname Armstrong, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (20.4%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Armstrong in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.7% (90,431 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Armstrong appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.7%), Black (20.4%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Armstrong (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 Armstrong mean?
A surname of Scottish origin meaning someone with strong arms or a strong arm, likely an archer or warrior. 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 Armstrong (43.43 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 last name Armstrong?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Armstrong on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.