2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Embody
A surname derived from the word "embody," suggesting personification or representation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Embody. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Embody 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Embody in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Embody, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Embody
The surname "EMBODY" is an English occupational name that originated in the late 16th century. It is derived from the Middle English verb "enbodien", which means "to incorporate" or "to give bodily form to something abstract". The name was likely given to individuals who worked as sculptors, artists, or craftsmen, as their occupation involved giving physical form to abstract ideas or concepts.
The earliest recorded reference to the surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, dating back to 1589. The entry mentions a William Embody, who was a local woodcarver and sculptor.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records and documents from different parts of England, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. One notable bearer of the name was John Embody (1625-1692), a skilled stonemason who worked on the construction of several churches and cathedrals in the Cotswolds region.
During the 18th century, the name spread to other parts of England, with records showing Embodys living in London, Yorkshire, and Lancashire. One of the most prominent figures with this surname was Elizabeth Embody (1738-1812), a renowned portrait painter who was commissioned by several noble families to create their family portraits.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the work of Thomas Embody (1801-1876), an acclaimed sculptor who created several monumental statues and memorials in London, including the famous Crimean War Memorial in St. James's Park.
Other notable individuals with the surname "EMBODY" include:
1. William Embody (1865-1942), a British architect known for designing several grand public buildings in London and Manchester.
2. Mary Embody (1892-1974), an American novelist and playwright whose works often explored themes of identity and self-expression.
3. James Embody (1920-2005), a prominent British painter and art educator who taught at the Royal College of Art for over three decades.
4. Sarah Embody (born 1968), a Canadian sculptor and installation artist whose works have been exhibited in galleries around the world.
5. Michael Embody (born 1975), an American filmmaker and screenwriter known for his critically acclaimed independent films exploring themes of social justice and human rights.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Embody
Among Census respondents with the surname Embody, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Embody 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 Embody surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino11.1% · 12
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Embody
Embody 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,356 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,631 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,356 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,631 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 Embody 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 | #138,304 | #150,935 | -9.1% |
| Count | 121 | 108 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Embody bearers went from 121 to 108 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,631 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #150,935.
FAQ
Embody surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Embody?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Embody. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Embody?
Embody ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Embody. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Embody.
Has Embody become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Embody went from 121 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Embody?
Among Census respondents with the surname Embody, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.1%) 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 Embody in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Embody appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Hispanic (11.1%), 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 Embody (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 Embody mean?
A surname derived from the word "embody," suggesting personification or representation. 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 Embody (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 many people have the surname Embody?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.