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

Contractor, 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 Contractor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Contractor in America

Contractor is the 40371st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Contractor surname appeared 542 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 Contractor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Contractor 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 Contractor

The surname CONTRACTOR is of English origin, arising in the late medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Middle English word 'contractour', meaning someone who entered into a contract or binding agreement, especially for work or services. The name likely referred to a person who took on building or construction projects under formal contracts.

The earliest recorded instances of the CONTRACTOR surname appear in legal documents and court rolls from the 14th century. One of the first known bearers was John le Contractor, mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire in 1317. Another early reference is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, which records a Walter Contractor in 1382.

In the 15th century, the surname began to spread throughout England, appearing in various spellings such as Contractour, Contracter, and Contracte. William Contractour was recorded in the Chancery Proceedings of 1489, while John Contracte was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1524.

During the Tudor period, the CONTRACTOR name became more prominent, particularly in London and the surrounding areas. Notable bearers from this time include Thomas Contractor, a merchant and property owner in London, who lived from around 1520 to 1588. Another was William Contractor, a builder and architect who worked on several significant projects in the city during the late 16th century.

As the name suggests, many CONTRACTORs were involved in the construction trade, taking on projects ranging from small buildings to large-scale infrastructure works. Some also held positions of authority, such as Robert Contractor, who served as the Mayor of Faversham, Kent, in 1620.

Other noteworthy individuals with the CONTRACTOR surname include:

1. John Contractor (1547-1631), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire.
2. Richard Contractor (1612-1679), a prominent lawyer and judge in the Court of Common Pleas during the Commonwealth period.
3. Elizabeth Contractor (c. 1670-1744), a renowned author and playwright who wrote several popular works in the early 18th century.
4. Thomas Contractor (1718-1798), a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding counties.
5. William Contractor (1789-1866), a civil engineer and pioneer in the construction of canals and railways in the industrial age.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Contractor

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

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

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

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