2000
#9,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Edmundson
Son of Edmund, a name derived from the Old English elements "ead" (wealth, fortune) and "mund" (protection).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,462 Americans carry the last name Edmundson. That puts it at #10,167 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 99,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Edmundson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Edmundson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 99,005
Census rank
#10,167
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,019 bearers of the surname Edmundson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10167th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Edmundson, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Edmundson
The surname Edmundson is of English origin, derived from the given name Edmund and the patronymic suffix "-son," meaning "son of Edmund." The name Edmund comes from the Old English name "Ēadmund," composed of the elements "ēad" meaning "prosperity" or "wealth" and "mund" meaning "protection."
The name Edmundson first appeared in records in the 12th century in various counties of England, including Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Lincolnshire. It is believed to have originated from the northern regions of England, where the name Edmund was particularly popular during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Edmundson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a person named "Edmundus filius Ade" (Edmund, son of Adam). The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the Exchequer of England, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of individuals living during that period.
In the 13th century, the name Edmundson appeared in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire, which were legal records of the King's Court. These rolls mention "Willelmus Edmundson" and "Robertus Edmundson," indicating the presence of the surname in that region.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Edmundson was William Edmundson (1627-1712), an English Quaker missionary who traveled extensively in Ireland and the American colonies, spreading the Quaker faith. He is remembered for his influential writings and contributions to the growth of the Quaker movement.
Another prominent individual with this surname was George Edmundson (1798-1868), a British botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in the West Indies. He published several works on the flora of the region, including "A Catalogue of the Plants Growing in the Vicinity of Bahamas" (1835).
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Edmundson can be found in the Virginia land patents of 1679, which mention a "John Edmundson" as a landowner. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname had already settled in the American colonies by the late 17th century.
A notable figure in American history with the surname Edmundson was William Edmundson (1832-1891), a prominent businessman and politician from Virginia. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and was actively involved in the development of the state's coal and railroad industries.
Another individual of note was Henry Edmundson (1815-1890), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and the Indian Rebellion of 1857. He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration in the United Kingdom, for his bravery and leadership during the Siege of Lucknow in 1857.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Edmundson
Among Census respondents with the surname Edmundson, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Edmundson 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 Edmundson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 2,268
- Black or African American16.8% · 507
- Two or more races3.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Edmundson
Edmundson 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
#10,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,196
+53 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 600 places
2020
#10,167
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,019
-177 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 82 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,485 | 3,143 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,085 | 3,196 | 1.08 | +53 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 600 places |
| 2020 | #10,167 | 3,019 | 1.01 | -177 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 82 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 Edmundson 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 | #10,085 | #10,167 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,196 | 3,019 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.01 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Edmundson bearers went from 3,196 to 3,019 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 82 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,085 to #10,167.
FAQ
Edmundson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Edmundson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,462 living Americans carry the surname Edmundson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 99,005 residents.
How common is Edmundson?
Edmundson ranks #10,167 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,019 people with the surname Edmundson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,462), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Edmundson.
Has Edmundson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Edmundson went from 3,196 recorded bearers to 3,019. That is a decrease of 177 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,085 to #10,167.
What does the Census say about the background of Edmundson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Edmundson, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Edmundson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (2,268 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Edmundson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Black (16.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Edmundson (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 Edmundson mean?
Son of Edmund, a name derived from the Old English elements "ead" (wealth, fortune) and "mund" (protection). 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 Edmundson (1.01 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 have the last name Edmundson?
See how many people have the surname Edmundson on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.