2000
#12,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,388
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Avis
A surname of French origin derived from the Old French word "avis," meaning "bird" or "sign."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,129 Americans carry the last name Avis. That puts it at #15,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Avis 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 Avis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,993
Census rank
#15,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,857 bearers of the surname Avis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Avis, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Avis
The surname Avis has its roots in England and France, originating in the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "avis," meaning "opinion" or "advice." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone known for their wisdom or counsel.
In England, the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Avis" and "Avis de Burgo," indicating its presence in various regions of the country.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Roger Avis, a landowner from Worcestershire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1190. Another notable figure was John Avis, a prominent merchant from London who lived in the 14th century and was involved in the wool trade.
The surname Avis has also been associated with various place names in England, including Avishayes in Devon and Avisford in Sussex. These locations likely took their names from early settlers bearing the Avis surname.
In France, the surname Avis can be traced back to the 13th century, with variations such as "Avy" and "Avice" being found in historical records. One notable bearer of the name was Jean Avis, a French soldier who fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century.
Other notable individuals with the surname Avis include:
1. Robert Avis (1491-1558), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Mary I.
2. William Avis (1675-1759), a prominent English clockmaker known for his innovative timepiece designs.
3. Mary Avis (1809-1891), a British author and poet, known for her work "The Cottage Girl" published in 1839.
4. John Avis (1842-1921), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
5. Ernest Avis (1884-1953), a British athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, winning a silver medal in the tug-of-war event.
While the surname Avis may have evolved over time and across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting its long-standing presence in both England and France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Avis
Among Census respondents with the surname Avis, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Avis 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 Avis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 1,601
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 87
- Two or more races4.0% · 75
- Black or African American2.9% · 54
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Avis
Avis 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
#13,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,156
-232 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 1,977 places
2020
#15,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,857
-299 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 1,240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,004 | 2,388 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,981 | 2,156 | 0.73 | -232 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 1,977 places |
| 2020 | #15,221 | 1,857 | 0.62 | -299 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 1,240 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 Avis 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 | #13,981 | #15,221 | -8.9% |
| Count | 2,156 | 1,857 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.62 | -14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Avis bearers went from 2,156 to 1,857 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 1,240 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,981 to #15,221.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Avis
FAQ
Avis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Avis?
Name Census estimates that about 2,129 living Americans carry the surname Avis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,993 residents.
How common is Avis?
Avis ranks #15,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,857 people with the surname Avis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,129), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Avis.
Has Avis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Avis went from 2,156 recorded bearers to 1,857. That is a decrease of 299 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,981 to #15,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Avis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Avis, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Avis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (1,601 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Avis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Avis (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 Avis mean?
A surname of French origin derived from the Old French word "avis," meaning "bird" or "sign." 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 Avis (0.62 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 common is the surname Avis?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Avis, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.