Find out how popular the last name Character is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Character.

Character, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Character surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Character in America

Character is the 62531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Character surname appeared 320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Character.

We can also compare 2010 data for Character to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Character

The surname "Character" is of English origin, first appearing in historical records in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "caractere," which itself traces its roots back to the Greek word "kharaktēr," meaning "engraved mark" or "distinctive quality." The name likely referred to a person with a distinctive personality or characteristic.

One of the earliest documented instances of the name "Character" can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1198, where a William Character is mentioned as a landowner in Oxfordshire. The Pipe Rolls of 1200 also reference a Robert le Character, suggesting that the name had already begun to establish itself in various parts of England by the early 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Worcestershire, where a John Character is listed as a taxpayer. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 for Gloucestershire also record a Thomas Character, indicating the name's spread throughout the West Country during this period.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Character (c. 1420-1489), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the Wars of the Roses. He was a staunch supporter of the House of Lancaster and fought at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the parish records of St. Giles Cripplegate in London, where a William Character was baptized in 1542. The same records also mention a marriage between Thomas Character and Alice Browne in 1578.

During the 17th century, the surname "Character" can be found in various legal documents and court proceedings. One such example is the case of Richard Character, a merchant from Bristol who was involved in a trade dispute in 1637.

In the late 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Character (1758-1828), a renowned naturalist and explorer who traveled extensively in the South Pacific. He published several books on his expeditions and discoveries, including "A Voyage to the Friendly Islands" in 1792.

Other notable individuals with the surname "Character" include:

1. Elizabeth Character (1822-1901), a prominent women's rights activist and abolitionist from New York.
2. William Character (1867-1935), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, such as the Middlesex Guildhall.
3. James Character (1892-1972), an Australian novelist and poet known for his depictions of rural life in New South Wales.
4. Mary Character (1914-2003), a pioneering American physicist who made significant contributions to the study of nuclear reactions.
5. David Character (born 1958), a British politician and Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party since 2005.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Character

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Character.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Character was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Character has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Character was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Character, please contact us.

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