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

City, 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 City surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of City in America

City is the 140157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The City surname appeared 119 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 City.

We can also compare 2010 data for City 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 City

The surname CITY is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cité" or "cytic," which meant a town or a city. This name likely emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century, as a descriptive surname for someone who lived in or near a town or city.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CITY can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert de la Cite in Oxfordshire. The prefix "de la" suggests that this particular individual was from a specific town or city, though the exact location is not specified.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Citie, Cittie, and Cytie, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period. The earliest known bearer of the name was John Cytie, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester in 1376.

The CITY surname may have also derived from a place name, such as the town of City in Norfolk, England. This connection is evident in the case of William de la Citye, who was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1395.

One notable figure with the surname CITY was Sir John City (1515-1588), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1567 and played a significant role in the city's trade and commerce during the Elizabethan era.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Ebenezer City (1672-1728), an English Quaker and writer who published several religious works, including "The Innocency of Gospel Truth Asserted" in 1697.

In the 18th century, the surname CITY was also found in Scotland, with individuals such as James City (1738-1803), a Scottish merchant and landowner who owned estates in Fife and Perthshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CITY in the United States can be traced back to John City, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1635, as documented in the records of the Virginia Company.

William City (1668-1741), an English-born American colonist and merchant, was another notable bearer of this surname. He settled in Boston, Massachusetts, and became a prominent figure in the city's business and political circles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name City

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

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 City 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 City 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 City was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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