2000
#7,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,236
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Converse
An occupational surname referring to a cobbler or shoemaker who makes a type of shoe called a converse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,852 Americans carry the last name Converse. That puts it at #7,571 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,642 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Converse 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
4.9K
1 in 70,642
Census rank
#7,571
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,231 bearers of the surname Converse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7571st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Converse, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Converse
The surname Converse is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "convers," meaning "a lay brother in a monastery." This term referred to men who dedicated their lives to religious service without taking formal vows.
The name first appeared in records in the county of Oxfordshire, England, during the reign of King Henry II (1154-1189). One of the earliest documented instances is in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1180, where a certain William Convers is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the surname was recorded in various forms, such as Convers, Conversus, and Conversant, reflecting the evolving spelling and pronunciation over time. These variations appeared in various medieval documents, including the Hundred Rolls and the Curia Regis Rolls.
The Converse surname gained prominence in the 14th century, with notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was John Convers (c. 1300-1370), a wealthy merchant and landowner from London, who served as an alderman and sheriff of the city.
During the Tudor period (1485-1603), the Converse family held significant estates in Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Sir Edward Converse (1530-1589), a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Worcestershire, was a prominent figure of the time.
In the 17th century, the surname crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the English colonists who settled in North America. Among the early Converse immigrants was Edward Converse (1590-1663), who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 and became a prominent figure in the colony's affairs.
Another notable individual was Samuel Converse (1683-1768), a merchant and landowner in Boston, who served as a selectman and was involved in the establishment of the town of Malden, Massachusetts.
The Converse family played a role in the American Revolutionary War, with Josiah Converse (1755-1836) serving as a soldier and later becoming a respected farmer and community leader in Vermont.
As the centuries passed, the Converse surname continued to spread across the United States and other parts of the world. It has been carried by several notable figures throughout history, including the American industrialist Elisha Converse (1820-1904), who founded the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, now known as Converse.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Converse
Among Census respondents with the surname Converse, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Converse 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 Converse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,641
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 191
- Two or more races3.9% · 167
- Black or African American3.7% · 155
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Converse
Converse 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
#7,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,400
+164 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 290 places
2020
#7,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,231
-169 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,264 | 4,236 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,554 | 4,400 | 1.49 | +164 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 290 places |
| 2020 | #7,571 | 4,231 | 1.42 | -169 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 17 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 Converse 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 | #7,554 | #7,571 | -0.2% |
| Count | 4,400 | 4,231 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.42 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Converse bearers went from 4,400 to 4,231 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,554 to #7,571.
FAQ
Converse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Converse?
Name Census estimates that about 4,852 living Americans carry the surname Converse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,642 residents.
How common is Converse?
Converse ranks #7,571 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 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 4,231 people with the surname Converse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,852), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 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 Converse.
Has Converse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Converse went from 4,400 recorded bearers to 4,231. That is a decrease of 169 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,554 to #7,571.
What does the Census say about the background of Converse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Converse, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Converse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,641 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Converse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Converse (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 Converse mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cobbler or shoemaker who makes a type of shoe called a converse. 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 Converse (1.42 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 are called Converse?
If you just want to know how common the surname Converse is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.