2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Awkard
A surname derived from the Old English word "awcweard" meaning clumsy or lacking dexterity.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Awkard. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Awkard 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Awkard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Awkard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and White (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Awkard
The surname "Awkard" is believed to have originated in England during the late 11th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "awc" meaning "turned away" and "weird" meaning "fate" or "destiny." The name may have been given to someone who was perceived as being an outcast or living an unconventional life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Ailward Awcward is listed as holding property in the county of Worcestershire. This spelling variation, "Awcward," provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Thomas Awkard (c. 1220-1285) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. Records from this period also mention a John Awkeward, who was a member of the local guild of weavers in the town of Coventry.
During the 15th century, the name appears to have spread across various regions of England. A document from 1487 references a William Awkard, who was a farmer in the village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. Another record from the same period mentions a Richard Awkward, who was a tailor in the city of York.
In the 16th century, a notable individual named Elizabeth Awkard (c. 1530-1602) lived in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. She was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is believed to have been acquainted with the famous playwright.
The surname continued to be documented throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with various spellings such as "Awkward," "Aukward," and "Awkeward." One noteworthy individual from this period was John Awkward (1675-1749), who was a prominent lawyer and judge in the city of London.
Other historical figures with the surname "Awkard" include Samuel Awkard (1720-1798), a notable author and philosopher from Oxford, and Mary Awkard (1785-1862), a philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve conditions for the poor in the city of Manchester.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Awkard
Among Census respondents with the surname Awkard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and White (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Awkard 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 Awkard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.0% · 89
- Two or more races8.5% · 9
- White3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Awkard
Awkard 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+10 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 410 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-31 bearers (-22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,057 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 410 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-22.6%) | Down 27,057 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 Awkard 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 | #125,282 | #152,339 | -21.6% |
| Count | 137 | 106 | -22.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Awkard bearers went from 137 to 106 (-22.6% change). The surname moved down 27,057 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #152,339.
FAQ
Awkard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Awkard?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Awkard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Awkard?
Awkard ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Awkard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Awkard.
Has Awkard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Awkard went from 137 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 31 (-22.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Awkard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Awkard, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and White (3.8%). 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 Awkard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.0% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Awkard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.0%), Two or More Races (8.5%), White (3.8%). 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 Awkard (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 Awkard mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "awcweard" meaning clumsy or lacking dexterity. 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 Awkard (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 have the surname Awkard?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.