2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Avedon
A habitational surname indicating someone from a place called Avedon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Avedon. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avedon 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.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Avedon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avedon, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avedon
The surname AVEDON is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "afon," meaning "river" or "stream." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a river or stream, or perhaps worked in a occupation related to waterways.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name AVEDON can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a landowner named Avedon in the county of Gloucestershire.
In the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Aveden" and "Avedun" began appearing in historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire. These early spellings further reinforce the connection to the Old English word for river.
Notable individuals with the surname AVEDON include Sir John Avedon, a prominent merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1489. Another notable figure was Richard Avedon (1923-2004), an influential American fashion and portrait photographer renowned for his work with magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.
Other historical figures with the surname AVEDON include:
1. William Avedon (1680-1745), an English philosopher and author known for his treatise on natural law.
2. Elizabeth Avedon (1792-1868), a British philanthropist and advocate for women's education.
3. James Avedon (1845-1921), a Scottish engineer and inventor who patented several improvements to steam engine technology.
4. Henry Avedon (1903-1986), an American painter and sculptor known for his abstract expressionist works.
5. Marie Avedon (1920-2011), a French novelist and playwright who wrote extensively about the experiences of women during World War II.
While the name AVEDON is not among the most common surnames today, its historical roots can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as a descriptive name for those living near rivers or streams.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avedon
Among Census respondents with the surname Avedon, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Avedon 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 Avedon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avedon
Avedon 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,119 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-13 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,411 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,119 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 12,411 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 Avedon 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 | #139,228 | #151,639 | -8.9% |
| Count | 120 | 107 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avedon bearers went from 120 to 107 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 12,411 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #151,639.
FAQ
Avedon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avedon?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Avedon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Avedon?
Avedon ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Avedon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Avedon.
Has Avedon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avedon went from 120 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Avedon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avedon, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Avedon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avedon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Avedon (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 Avedon mean?
A habitational surname indicating someone from a place called Avedon. 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 Avedon (0.04 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 are called Avedon?
Find out how many people are called Avedon on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.