2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ayze
A surname derived from a Hebrew term meaning "mighty."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Ayze. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ayze 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Ayze in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayze, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Two or More Races (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ayze
The surname AYZE is believed to have originated in the Normandy region of France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "aize," which means "ease" or "comfort." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived a comfortable or easy life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the AYZE surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England completed in 1086. The name is listed as "Aize," referring to a landowner in the county of Wiltshire.
By the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Aise" and "Ayse," began appearing in various records across northern France and England. This indicates that the name had spread and evolved over time.
One notable individual bearing the AYZE surname was Sir John Ayze, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th century. He was commended for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
In the 16th century, the AYZE name became associated with the village of Ayze in the Normandy region of France. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname during this period.
During the 17th century, a branch of the AYZE family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was recorded as "Ays" and "Ayse." One prominent member of this branch was Pieter Ays (1596-1670), a successful merchant and shipowner based in Amsterdam.
Another noteworthy individual with the AYZE surname was Marie-Louise Ayze (1722-1798), a French noble and philanthropist who was known for her charitable works during the reign of King Louis XVI.
In the 19th century, several members of the AYZE family emigrated from France to North America, particularly to regions of Canada and the United States. One such individual was Jacques Ayze (1810-1887), a farmer from Normandy who settled in Quebec and established a successful agricultural enterprise.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ayze
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayze, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Two or More Races (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ayze 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 Ayze surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native78.6% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino8.9% · 10
- Two or more races8.0% · 9
- White3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ayze
Ayze 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
#112,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
+52 bearers (+50.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 33,443 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-44 bearers (-28.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 35,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #112,568 | 156 | 0.05 | +52 bearers (+50.0%) | Up 33,443 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -44 bearers (-28.2%) | Down 35,386 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 Ayze 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 | #112,568 | #147,954 | -31.4% |
| Count | 156 | 112 | -28.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ayze bearers went from 156 to 112 (-28.2% change). The surname moved down 35,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #112,568 to #147,954.
FAQ
Ayze surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ayze?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Ayze. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Ayze?
Ayze ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Ayze. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Ayze.
Has Ayze become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ayze went from 156 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 44 (-28.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #112,568 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Ayze?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayze, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.9%) and Two or More Races (8.0%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ayze in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ayze appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (78.6%), Hispanic (8.9%), Two or More Races (8.0%). 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 Ayze (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 Ayze mean?
A surname derived from a Hebrew term meaning "mighty." 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 Ayze (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 last name Ayze?
You can see how many people have the surname Ayze on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.