2000
#13,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Centers
A surname indicating an ancestor who lived in the center of a village or near the town square.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,432 Americans carry the last name Centers. That puts it at #13,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,935 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Centers 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
2.4K
1 in 140,935
Census rank
#13,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,121 bearers of the surname Centers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Centers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Centers
The surname Centers is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "center," which referred to a person who lived or worked at the center of a town or village. The name was originally spelled "Centrer" or "Centrour."
The earliest recorded instance of the name Centers is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which mentions a John le Centrer. Another early reference is in the Court Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1312, where a William le Centrour is listed.
In the 14th century, the surname Centers began to appear in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas.
One notable bearer of the surname Centers was Robert Centers, who was born in 1512 in Lincolnshire. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Stamford.
In the 16th century, the name Centers was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex, which recorded a Thomas Centers in 1524.
During the 17th century, the surname Centers began to spread to other parts of England. One notable figure was John Centers, born in 1634 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned scholar and author who wrote several books on theology and philosophy.
Another significant bearer of the name was William Centers, who was born in 1670 in Yorkshire. He was a successful businessman and served as the Mayor of Leeds in 1712.
In the 18th century, the surname Centers continued to be found throughout England. One notable example is Samuel Centers, born in 1725 in Lincolnshire. He was a renowned architect and designed several churches and public buildings in the region.
As the name Centers spread across England, it also adopted various spelling variations, such asCentrs, Centars, and Centors. These variations were often based on regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Centers
Among Census respondents with the surname Centers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Centers 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 Centers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 1,884
- Black or African American4.8% · 101
- Two or more races3.2% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Centers
Centers 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
#13,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,174
+51 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 693 places
2020
#13,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,121
-53 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 211 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,194 | 2,123 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,887 | 2,174 | 0.74 | +51 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 693 places |
| 2020 | #13,676 | 2,121 | 0.71 | -53 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 211 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 Centers 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 | #13,887 | #13,676 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,174 | 2,121 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.71 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Centers bearers went from 2,174 to 2,121 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 211 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,887 to #13,676.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Centers
FAQ
Centers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Centers?
Name Census estimates that about 2,432 living Americans carry the surname Centers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,935 residents.
How common is Centers?
Centers ranks #13,676 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,121 people with the surname Centers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,432), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Centers.
Has Centers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Centers went from 2,174 recorded bearers to 2,121. That is a decrease of 53 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,887 to #13,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Centers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Centers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Centers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (1,884 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Centers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Black (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Centers (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 Centers mean?
A surname indicating an ancestor who lived in the center of a village or near the town square. 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 Centers (0.71 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 Centers?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.