2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Century
A surname derived from the Latin word "centuria", meaning a group of one hundred.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Century. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Century 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Century in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Century, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.1%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Century
The surname Century is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 13th century in the county of Somerset. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cendre," which referred to the ashes or cinders of a fireplace. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone who worked with fires or lived near a cinder path.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, where it appears as "Cendri." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 mention a "John Cendry," providing further evidence of the name's early existence.
During the medieval period, the name was often associated with certain professions or locations. For instance, in the 14th century, a "Roger Cendry" was recorded as a resident of the village of Cendry (now known as Cenery) in Dorset. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name, rather than solely a descriptive term.
Notable bearers of the surname Century include Sir John Century (c. 1450-1512), a prominent landowner and member of the English gentry in Somerset during the Tudor period. Another historical figure was William Century (1576-1641), a English clergyman who served as the Rector of Blandford Forum in Dorset.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, Somerset, with the birth of Alice Century recorded in 1624. This indicates the continued presence of the surname in its original geographical region.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we find references to Thomas Century (1701-1778), a successful merchant and landowner from Bristol, who amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures.
As the name spread across England, it also gained recognition through notable individuals like Sir James Century (1832-1914), a distinguished military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Member of Parliament.
Throughout its history, the surname Century has maintained its ties to the English counties of Somerset and Dorset, where it originated and was most prevalent. While its spelling has evolved over the centuries, the name's distinctive roots and connections to specific locations have been preserved.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Century
Among Census respondents with the surname Century, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.1%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Century 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 Century surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.1% · 49
- White32.7% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.3% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Century
Century appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 179 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 Century 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 | #153,769 | #153,590 | 0.1% |
| Count | 106 | 104 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Century bearers went from 106 to 104 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #153,590.
FAQ
Century surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Century?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Century. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Century?
Century ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Century. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Century.
Has Century become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Century went from 106 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Century?
Among Census respondents with the surname Century, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.1%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Century in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.1% (49 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Century appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.1%), White (32.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (16.3%). 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 Century (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 Century mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "centuria", meaning a group of one hundred. 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 Century (0.03 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 Century?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.