2000
#11,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,496
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Ensign
A surname derived from the military rank of a junior officer who carried the ensign or flag.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,905 Americans carry the last name Ensign. That puts it at #11,820 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,988 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ensign 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
2.9K
1 in 117,988
Census rank
#11,820
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,533 bearers of the surname Ensign in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11820th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ensign, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ensign
The surname Ensign is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "enseigne" meaning a sign, standard, or banner. It likely originated as an occupational name for a standard-bearer or someone who carried a banner or ensign into battle.
In medieval times, the Ensign was a key position on the battlefield, responsible for carrying and safeguarding the army's colors or standards. The name may have first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, as many French words and names were introduced to the English language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John le Enseigne in Oxfordshire. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled for the government at the time.
By the 14th century, the name had evolved into its modern spelling of Ensign. The famous English writer and philosopher John Ensign (1625-1692) was born in Wiltshire and is considered one of the earliest notable bearers of the name.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir Henry Ensign (1701-1781), a British naval officer who served during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his distinguished service.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where a Thomas Ensign is listed as a freeman in 1635.
A notable American bearer of the name was Charles Ensign (1814-1883), a pioneer and early settler in the Oregon Territory. He played a significant role in the establishment of the city of Portland and served as the first superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary.
Other historical figures with the surname Ensign include James Ensign (1806-1876), a Scottish-born American painter known for his landscapes and portraiture, and William Ensign Lincoln (1809-1900), a prominent American political figure and cousin of President Abraham Lincoln.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ensign
Among Census respondents with the surname Ensign, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ensign 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 Ensign surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 2,275
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 119
- Two or more races3.6% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ensign
Ensign 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
#12,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,564
+68 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 600 places
2020
#11,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,533
-31 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Up 333 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,553 | 2,496 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,153 | 2,564 | 0.87 | +68 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 600 places |
| 2020 | #11,820 | 2,533 | 0.85 | -31 bearers (-1.2%) | Up 333 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 Ensign 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 | #12,153 | #11,820 | 2.7% |
| Count | 2,564 | 2,533 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.85 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ensign bearers went from 2,564 to 2,533 (-1.2% change). The surname moved up 333 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,153 to #11,820.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ensign
FAQ
Ensign surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ensign?
Name Census estimates that about 2,905 living Americans carry the surname Ensign. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,988 residents.
How common is Ensign?
Ensign ranks #11,820 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,533 people with the surname Ensign. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,905), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Ensign.
Has Ensign become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ensign went from 2,564 recorded bearers to 2,533. That is a decrease of 31 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,153 to #11,820.
What does the Census say about the background of Ensign?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ensign, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Ensign in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (2,275 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ensign appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Ensign (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 Ensign mean?
A surname derived from the military rank of a junior officer who carried the ensign or flag. 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 Ensign (0.85 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 share the surname Ensign?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.