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

Avery, 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 Avery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Avery in America

Avery is the 878th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Avery surname appeared 39,564 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Avery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Avery 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 Avery

The surname AVERY is of English origin, derived from the Norman French personal name "Averey" or "Avera", which itself is a form of the Germanic name "Alberich", meaning "elf ruler". This name dates back to the medieval period, around the 11th and 12th centuries.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname AVERY can be found in various historical records from the 12th century onwards, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Alvredus". The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195 as "Averey".

AVERY is believed to have originated in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. The name is also associated with several place names, such as Avery's Green in Gloucestershire and Avery Hill in London.

Notable individuals with the surname AVERY throughout history include:

1. John Avery (c. 1598-1670), an early English settler in America who arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 and served as a Deputy to the General Court.

2. Samuel Avery (1622-1696), an English merchant and co-founder of the East India Company.

3. William Avery (1636-1695), an English physician and writer who published several works on midwifery and childbirth.

4. John Avery (1789-1870), an English botanist and author who wrote extensively on the flora of Wiltshire.

5. Benjamin Parley Avery (1828-1875), an American businessman and co-founder of the Avery Label Company, known for producing self-adhesive labels.

Over time, the surname AVERY has also experienced variations in spelling, including Averie, Avary, Averie, and Averry, among others. These variations reflect the diversity of regional dialects and scribal practices in different parts of England during the medieval and early modern periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Avery

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

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

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

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