2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Cyrius
An English and Scottish surname denoting one who quarreled or fought incessantly.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Cyrius. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cyrius 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Cyrius in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cyrius, the largest self-reported group is Black at 99.2%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cyrius
The surname CYRIUS has its origins traced back to ancient Rome, where it is believed to have derived from the Latin word "cyrius," which meant "lord" or "master." The name was initially used as a title or honorific for individuals of high social standing or those who held positions of authority.
During the Roman Empire's expansion, the name CYRIUS spread across various regions, including parts of modern-day Italy, France, and Spain. As the Roman influence waned, the name underwent various transformations and adaptations, reflecting the local languages and dialects of the areas it was adopted in.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CYRIUS can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 9th century. In this text, a nobleman named Cyrius de Montferrat is mentioned, hinting at the name's presence in the region of Piedmont, Italy.
In the 11th century, the CYRIUS name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England during the reign of William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a landowner named Radulfus Cyrius, who held estates in Gloucestershire.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the CYRIUS surname. One such figure was Pietro Cyrius (1472-1542), an Italian Renaissance painter and architect who made significant contributions to the artistic landscape of Venice. Another was Sir John Cyrius (1586-1663), an English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War.
In the realm of literature, the name CYRIUS gained prominence through the works of the French author and playwright, Pierre Cyrius (1639-1703). His satirical plays and social commentaries were widely acclaimed during the reign of Louis XIV.
Across the Atlantic, the CYRIUS name found a foothold in the New World, with records indicating the arrival of several individuals bearing this surname in the early colonial era. One notable figure was William Cyrius (1698-1776), a prominent merchant and landowner in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The CYRIUS surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the village of Cyriacus in Normandy, France, is believed to have derived its name from an early bearer of the CYRIUS surname. Similarly, the Cyrius Hills in Yorkshire, England, may have been named after a local landowner or nobleman with the same surname.
While the CYRIUS name has undergone various transformations and adaptations over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Roman world, where it once signified power, authority, and social standing. Through the ages, individuals bearing this surname have left their mark across various fields, from the arts and literature to politics and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cyrius
Among Census respondents with the surname Cyrius, the largest self-reported group is Black at 99.2%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cyrius 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 Cyrius surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American99.2% · 119
- White0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cyrius
Cyrius 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
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+19 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 17,663 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +19 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 17,663 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 Cyrius 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 | #159,712 | #142,049 | 11.1% |
| Count | 101 | 120 | 18.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cyrius bearers went from 101 to 120 (+18.8% change). The surname moved up 17,663 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #142,049.
FAQ
Cyrius surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cyrius?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Cyrius. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Cyrius?
Cyrius ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Cyrius. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cyrius.
Has Cyrius become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cyrius went from 101 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 19 (+18.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Cyrius?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cyrius, the largest self-reported group is Black at 99.2%. The next largest groups are White (0.8%). 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 Cyrius in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cyrius appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (99.2%), White (0.8%). 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 Cyrius (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 Cyrius mean?
An English and Scottish surname denoting one who quarreled or fought incessantly. 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 Cyrius (0.04 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 common is the surname Cyrius?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Cyrius at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.