2000
#692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 45,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.69
Uncommon Last name
English
An English occupational surname referring to an Anglo-Saxon person or someone from England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 51,347 Americans carry the last name English. That puts it at #757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 6,675 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the English 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 English with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
51K
1 in 6,675
Census rank
#757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
15.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
45K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 44,777 bearers of the surname English in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname English, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of English
The surname ENGLISH originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It was initially derived from the Old English word "Englisc," which referred to the Angles, a Germanic tribe that settled in central, eastern, and northern parts of what is now England. The name likely emerged as a descriptive term for someone who was of English descent or spoke the English language.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname ENGLISH can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property across much of England and parts of Wales. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Englis" and "Englys," reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
In the 13th century, the surname ENGLISH is documented in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals by name for taxation purposes. One notable bearer of the name during this period was John English, a landowner in Cambridgeshire mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292.
During the 14th century, the surname ENGLISH continued to be found in various records across England. For instance, the Poll Tax of Yorkshire in 1379 listed several individuals with the surname, including William English and John English.
In the 15th century, the ENGLISH surname appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the Paston family from Norfolk. One letter, dated 1448, mentioned a man named Thomas English, who was involved in a legal dispute.
In the 16th century, the surname ENGLISH gained prominence with notable figures such as John English (1512-1592), a Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs.
Other historical bearers of the ENGLISH surname include:
1. Thomas English (1615-1691), an English Puritan minister and author.
2. William English (1621-1677), an English politician who served as a member of parliament during the English Civil War.
3. John English (1787-1858), an English botanist and horticulturist known for his work on the cultivation of exotic plants.
4. Beatrice English (1857-1944), an English actress and singer who performed in various theatrical productions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The surname ENGLISH has its roots in the early days of England and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, including religious figures, politicians, scholars, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for English
Among Census respondents with the surname English, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how English 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 English surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.9% · 30,851
- Black or African American21.6% · 9,691
- Two or more races4.6% · 2,046
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,551
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 398
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 240
Timeline
Historical Census data for English
English 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
#748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 46,393
+1,361 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 15.73
Rank movement Down 56 places
2020
#757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,777
-1,616 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 14.98
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #692 | 45,032 | 16.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #748 | 46,393 | 15.73 | +1,361 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 56 places |
| 2020 | #757 | 44,777 | 14.98 | -1,616 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 9 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 English 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 | #748 | #757 | -1.2% |
| Count | 46,393 | 44,777 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 15.73 | 14.98 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of English bearers went from 46,393 to 44,777 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #748 to #757.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname English
FAQ
English surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname English?
Name Census estimates that about 51,347 living Americans carry the surname English. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 6,675 residents.
How common is English?
English ranks #757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 15 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 44,777 people with the surname English. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (51,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 15 of them to have the surname English.
Has English become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname English went from 46,393 recorded bearers to 44,777. That is a decrease of 1,616 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #748 to #757.
What does the Census say about the background of English?
Among Census respondents with the surname English, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (21.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 English in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.9% (30,851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
English appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.9%), Black (21.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 English (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 English mean?
An English occupational surname referring to an Anglo-Saxon person or someone from England. 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 English (14.98 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 English?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.