2000
#3,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,835
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.28
Uncommon Last name
Artis
A Latvian occupational surname derived from the German word for "physician" or "doctor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,567 Americans carry the last name Artis. That puts it at #3,751 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,436 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Artis 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 Artis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 32,436
Census rank
#3,751
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,215 bearers of the surname Artis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3751st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Artis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Artis
The surname Artis originated in Italy and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Italian word "arte," meaning "art" or "skill," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who was skilled in a particular craft or trade.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Artis can be found in the archives of the city of Florence, where a certain Giovanni Artis is mentioned in a document dated 1287. This document records a land transaction involving Giovanni, who was likely a skilled artisan or craftsman.
In the 14th century, the name Artis also appeared in the records of the city of Venice, where a family by that name was known for their expertise in glass-making and other artistic endeavors. One of the most notable members of this family was Marco Artis, a renowned glassblower who lived from 1342 to 1412.
During the Renaissance period, the name Artis became associated with the arts and culture that flourished in Italy at the time. One of the most famous bearers of this name was the painter and architect Giacomo Artis, who lived from 1470 to 1531 and was known for his contributions to the development of the Mannerist style.
In the 17th century, the Artis surname spread to other parts of Europe, including France and Spain. A notable figure from this period was the Spanish painter Juan Artis, who lived from 1609 to 1679 and was known for his religious works and portraits.
As the centuries passed, the Artis surname continued to be associated with artistic and cultural pursuits. In the 19th century, one of the most prominent bearers of this name was the German composer and conductor Felix Artis, who lived from 1810 to 1892 and was known for his contributions to the Romantic era of classical music.
Throughout its history, the surname Artis has been carried by numerous individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts, crafts, and cultural spheres. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has become a symbol of creativity, skill, and artistic expression.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Artis
Among Census respondents with the surname Artis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Artis 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 Artis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.0% · 7,192
- White11.0% · 1,018
- Two or more races5.9% · 547
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 381
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Artis
Artis 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
#3,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,656
+821 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 3.27
Rank movement Up 6 places
2020
#3,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,215
-441 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,688 | 8,835 | 3.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,682 | 9,656 | 3.27 | +821 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 6 places |
| 2020 | #3,751 | 9,215 | 3.08 | -441 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 69 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 Artis 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 | #3,682 | #3,751 | -1.9% |
| Count | 9,656 | 9,215 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.27 | 3.08 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Artis bearers went from 9,656 to 9,215 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,682 to #3,751.
FAQ
Artis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Artis?
Name Census estimates that about 10,567 living Americans carry the surname Artis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,436 residents.
How common is Artis?
Artis ranks #3,751 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,215 people with the surname Artis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,567), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Artis.
Has Artis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Artis went from 9,656 recorded bearers to 9,215. That is a decrease of 441 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,682 to #3,751.
What does the Census say about the background of Artis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Artis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 78.0%. The next largest groups are White (11.0%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Artis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.0% (7,192 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Artis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (78.0%), White (11.0%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Artis (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 Artis mean?
A Latvian occupational surname derived from the German word for "physician" or "doctor." 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 Artis (3.08 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 Artis?
See how many Americans have the surname Artis on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.