2000
#7,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,001
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Force
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked with scissors or shears, such as a tailor or barber.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,428 Americans carry the last name Force. That puts it at #8,213 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Force 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 Force with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,406
Census rank
#8,213
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,861 bearers of the surname Force in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8213th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Force, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Force
The surname Force has its origins in medieval France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "force," meaning strength or power. This name likely referred to someone who was physically strong or had a forceful personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the Force surname can be found in various medieval documents from northern France, particularly in the regions of Normandy and Picardy. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Renaud Force, who was mentioned in a charter from the town of Rouen in 1195.
During the Middle Ages, the Force name appeared in several historical records and manuscripts, including the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Forz" in this document, which suggests that the spelling may have varied in different regions.
As the name spread throughout Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Fors, Fosse, and Fortz. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors in transcribing the name.
One notable individual with the Force surname was Jean de Force, a French military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the 14th century. He participated in several important battles, including the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.
Another prominent figure was Arnaud de Force, a French nobleman and landowner who lived in the 15th century. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his influential role in the governance of his region.
In England, the Force surname can be traced back to the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many French and Norman settlers accompanied William the Conqueror. One of the earliest English bearers of this name was Robert Force, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1195.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Force name gained prominence in various parts of Europe, including France, England, and the Netherlands. One notable individual from this period was Pieter de Force, a Dutch artist and engraver born in 1590, known for his intricate etchings and illustrations.
As the centuries passed, the Force surname continued to spread throughout Europe and beyond, with bearers of this name making significant contributions in various fields, such as military, politics, arts, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Force
Among Census respondents with the surname Force, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Force 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 Force surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 3,493
- Two or more races3.9% · 152
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 128
- Black or African American1.4% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Force
Force 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
#8,067
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,108
+107 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 399 places
2020
#8,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,861
-247 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,668 | 4,001 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,067 | 4,108 | 1.39 | +107 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 399 places |
| 2020 | #8,213 | 3,861 | 1.29 | -247 bearers (-6.0%) | 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 Force 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 | #8,067 | #8,213 | -1.8% |
| Count | 4,108 | 3,861 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.29 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Force bearers went from 4,108 to 3,861 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,067 to #8,213.
FAQ
Force surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Force?
Name Census estimates that about 4,428 living Americans carry the surname Force. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,406 residents.
How common is Force?
Force ranks #8,213 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,861 people with the surname Force. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,428), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Force.
Has Force become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Force went from 4,108 recorded bearers to 3,861. That is a decrease of 247 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,067 to #8,213.
What does the Census say about the background of Force?
Among Census respondents with the surname Force, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Force in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (3,493 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Force appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Force (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 Force mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who worked with scissors or shears, such as a tailor or barber. 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 Force (1.29 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 Force?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Force is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.