Find out how popular the last name Estes is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Estes.

Estes, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Estes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Estes in America

Estes is the 956th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Estes surname appeared 36,318 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Estes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Estes to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Estes

The surname Estes traces its roots to England, originating in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "east," meaning the cardinal direction east. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived in an eastern region or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Estede," referring to a place name in Norfolk, England. The spelling variations "Ested" and "Estide" were also common in medieval records.

During the 13th century, the surname began to appear in its modern form, "Estes," in various counties across England, including Essex, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire. It is believed that the name was initially a locative surname, given to individuals residing in areas with names containing the word "east."

Noteworthy historical figures bearing the Estes surname include Sir Walter Estes, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable individual was John Estes, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, England, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade during the 16th century.

In the 17th century, the Estes family established itself in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was Thomas Estes, who settled in Virginia in 1635. His descendants later migrated to various parts of the United States, contributing to the spread of the surname across the country.

Another influential figure was Josiah Estes (1699-1778), a colonial American soldier and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress during the American Revolutionary War. He played a crucial role in the establishment of the new nation.

In the 19th century, William Estes (1820-1889) was a renowned American lawyer and politician from Mississippi. He served as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives and was a prominent figure in the state's legal circles.

Throughout its history, the surname Estes has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Estesparke in Gloucestershire, England, and Estes Park, a picturesque town in Colorado, United States, named after the Estes family who were early settlers in the area.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Estes

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Estes.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Estes was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Estes has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Estes was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Estes, please contact us.

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