2000
#812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,836
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.40
Uncommon Last name
Ayers
Derived from Middle English "eir" or "eyr," referring to an heir or the son and heir of a landholder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 42,406 Americans carry the last name Ayers. That puts it at #924 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ayers 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 Ayers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
42K
1 in 8,083
Census rank
#924
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
37K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 36,980 bearers of the surname Ayers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 924th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayers, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ayers
The surname Ayers has its origins in England, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "eiyr," which means "marsh" or "meadow." This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who lived near a marshy area or a meadow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ayers can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Ayer," "Ayre," and "Eyr."
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Ayers family was well-established in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Warwickshire. The name was often associated with specific place names, such as Ayr in Scotland and Ayre in Yorkshire.
One notable individual bearing the surname Ayers was Sir John Ayers (1510-1594), who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Philip Ayers (1638-1712), an English Quaker who emigrated to Pennsylvania and played a significant role in the early development of the colony.
In the 18th century, the Ayers family gained prominence in the field of literature. Thomas Ayers (1725-1798) was an English poet and playwright, while his son, Robert Ayers (1760-1823), was a renowned lawyer and essayist.
The name Ayers also has a strong connection to the military. Major General Romeyn B. Ayers (1825-1888) was a Union Army officer who served with distinction during the American Civil War, while Lieutenant General James E. Ayers (1916-2003) was a highly decorated World War II veteran and commander of the U.S. Army's V Corps.
Other notable individuals with the surname Ayers include Sir John Ayers (1861-1948), a British architect and designer who played a significant role in the Arts and Crafts movement, and Tom Ayers (1945-2009), an American guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with the band The Kingsmen.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ayers
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayers, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ayers 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 Ayers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 29,495
- Black or African American11.8% · 4,374
- Two or more races4.3% · 1,589
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 1,103
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 250
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 169
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ayers
Ayers 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
#875
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,623
+787 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 13.43
Rank movement Down 63 places
2020
#924
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,980
-2,643 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 12.37
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #812 | 38,836 | 14.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #875 | 39,623 | 13.43 | +787 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 63 places |
| 2020 | #924 | 36,980 | 12.37 | -2,643 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 49 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 Ayers 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 | #875 | #924 | -5.6% |
| Count | 39,623 | 36,980 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 13.43 | 12.37 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ayers bearers went from 39,623 to 36,980 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #875 to #924.
FAQ
Ayers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ayers?
Name Census estimates that about 42,406 living Americans carry the surname Ayers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,083 residents.
How common is Ayers?
Ayers ranks #924 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 36,980 people with the surname Ayers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (42,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Ayers.
Has Ayers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ayers went from 39,623 recorded bearers to 36,980. That is a decrease of 2,643 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #875 to #924.
What does the Census say about the background of Ayers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayers, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Ayers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (29,495 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ayers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Black (11.8%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Ayers (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 Ayers mean?
Derived from Middle English "eir" or "eyr," referring to an heir or the son and heir of a landholder. 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 Ayers (12.37 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 Americans have the surname Ayers?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.