2000
#14,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,851
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Espy
An English locational surname derived from the village of Epse in Nottinghamshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,119 Americans carry the last name Espy. That puts it at #15,291 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,753 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Espy 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
2.1K
1 in 161,753
Census rank
#15,291
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,848 bearers of the surname Espy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15291st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Espy, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Espy
The surname Espy is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "espier," which means "to watch" or "to spy." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to a watchman or someone who was tasked with keeping a lookout.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Espy can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book lists an individual named Osbert Lespiey, which is believed to be an early variation of the name Espy.
During the Middle Ages, the name Espy appeared in various documents and records across Europe. In England, there are records of individuals with the surname Espy in the 13th and 14th centuries, such as John Espy, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296.
As the name spread across different regions, it underwent various spelling variations, including Espie, Espey, and Espye. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and pronunciation differences.
One notable individual with the surname Espy was William Espy, a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 18th century (1736-1805). He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and was a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Another prominent figure was David Espy, an American meteorologist and philosopher who lived in the 19th century (1785-1860). He is known for his contributions to the study of atmospheric phenomena and his development of the "theory of storms," which helped advance the understanding of weather patterns.
In the literary world, there was James Pollard Espy, an American writer and journalist who lived from 1833 to 1917. He was a notable figure in the field of journalism and served as an editor for several publications.
The name Espy can also be found in military records throughout history. One example is Major General Roger Joseph Espy, an American military officer who served in World War II and the Korean War (1896-1975).
Additionally, there was John Espy, an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania in the late 18th century (1768-1825).
While the surname Espy has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries, as well as various regions in Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Espy
Among Census respondents with the surname Espy, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Espy 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 Espy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 1,359
- Black or African American16.3% · 301
- Two or more races5.3% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 72
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Espy
Espy 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
#15,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,851
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,033 places
2020
#15,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,848
-3 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 457 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,715 | 1,851 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,748 | 1,851 | 0.63 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,033 places |
| 2020 | #15,291 | 1,848 | 0.62 | -3 bearers (-0.2%) | Up 457 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 Espy 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 | #15,748 | #15,291 | 2.9% |
| Count | 1,851 | 1,848 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.62 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Espy bearers went from 1,851 to 1,848 (-0.2% change). The surname moved up 457 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,748 to #15,291.
FAQ
Espy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Espy?
Name Census estimates that about 2,119 living Americans carry the surname Espy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,753 residents.
How common is Espy?
Espy ranks #15,291 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,848 people with the surname Espy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Espy.
Has Espy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Espy went from 1,851 recorded bearers to 1,848. That is a decrease of 3 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,748 to #15,291.
What does the Census say about the background of Espy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Espy, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Espy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (1,359 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Espy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (16.3%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Espy (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 Espy mean?
An English locational surname derived from the village of Epse in Nottinghamshire. 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 Espy (0.62 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 Espy?
Want to know how many people are called Espy? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.