2000
#3,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.81
Uncommon Last name
Farrow
One who comes from a place where pigs are kept, or a hog dealer or seller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,400 Americans carry the last name Farrow. That puts it at #3,499 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Farrow 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 Farrow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,066
Census rank
#3,499
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,941 bearers of the surname Farrow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3499th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (26.6%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Farrow
The surname Farrow is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fearra," meaning "bull" or "ox." This suggests that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who worked with these animals or possessed characteristics associated with them.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Farrow can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Farrewe." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings in England.
In the 12th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Farreu," "Farrowe," and "Farrouwe." These variations reflect the different spellings and pronunciations that were common during that time period.
The surname Farrow is also associated with several place names in England, such as Farrow in Derbyshire and Farrow Field in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the surname or vice versa, as people often adopted surnames based on their place of origin or residence.
One notable individual bearing the surname Farrow was Samuel Farrow (1641-1719), an English nonconformist minister and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Serious Call to Repentance" and "The Doctrine of Justification."
Another prominent figure was John Farrow (1594-1670), an English Puritan clergyman and theologian, who served as the rector of Geddington in Northamptonshire and wrote several theological treatises.
In the 18th century, Thomas Farrow (1712-1788) was a notable English painter and engraver, known for his landscape paintings and etchings depicting rural scenes.
Moving into the 19th century, John Farrow (1804-1884) was a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several Arctic expeditions.
Lastly, Mia Farrow (born 1945) is a renowned American actress and activist, known for her roles in films such as "Rosemary's Baby" and her humanitarian work. While not directly related to the surname's historical origins, her fame has undoubtedly contributed to the recognition of the Farrow name in modern times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Farrow
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (26.6%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Farrow 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 Farrow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.1% · 6,269
- Black or African American26.6% · 2,641
- Two or more races5.6% · 552
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 304
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 108
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Farrow
Farrow 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
#3,353
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,672
+390 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 3.62
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#3,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,941
-731 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 3.33
Rank movement Down 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,196 | 10,282 | 3.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,353 | 10,672 | 3.62 | +390 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #3,499 | 9,941 | 3.33 | -731 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 146 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 Farrow 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 | #3,353 | #3,499 | -4.4% |
| Count | 10,672 | 9,941 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.62 | 3.33 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Farrow bearers went from 10,672 to 9,941 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,353 to #3,499.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Farrow
FAQ
Farrow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Farrow?
Name Census estimates that about 11,400 living Americans carry the surname Farrow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,066 residents.
How common is Farrow?
Farrow ranks #3,499 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,941 people with the surname Farrow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,400), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Farrow.
Has Farrow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Farrow went from 10,672 recorded bearers to 9,941. That is a decrease of 731 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,353 to #3,499.
What does the Census say about the background of Farrow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Farrow, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.1%. The next largest groups are Black (26.6%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Farrow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.1% (6,269 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Farrow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.1%), Black (26.6%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Farrow (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 Farrow mean?
One who comes from a place where pigs are kept, or a hog dealer or seller. 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 Farrow (3.33 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 are called Farrow?
Want to know how many people are called Farrow? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.