2000
#8,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,668
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Given
Derived from a nickname for a generous person or from the medieval personal name Given.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,901 Americans carry the last name Given. That puts it at #6,357 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,084 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Given 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 Given with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.9K
1 in 58,084
Census rank
#6,357
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,146 bearers of the surname Given in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6357th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Given, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Given
The surname Given is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the late 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the old English word "gifan," meaning "to give" or "to bestow." This suggests that the name may have been originally used as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a gift-giver or distributor.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Given was John Given, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297. The name also appeared in various other historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield and the Register of the Freemen of York.
The Given surname is believed to have been particularly prominent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire. Some early variations of the spelling included Giffyn, Giffin, and Giffan, which may have been influenced by local dialects or scribal errors.
In the 16th century, the surname Given was associated with several notable individuals, including Robert Given (c. 1570-1637), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. Another notable bearer of the name was John Given (1594-1647), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury during the reign of King Charles I.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Given surname spread across various parts of Britain and Ireland. One prominent figure was William Given (1633-1693), an Irish Presbyterian minister and author who played a significant role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Ireland.
In the 19th century, the surname Given was further dispersed through migration and settlement in various parts of the world, including North America and Australia. Notable individuals from this period include William Bowie Given (1807-1884), an American politician and lawyer who served as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.
Throughout its history, the surname Given has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including clergymen, politicians, academics, and military personnel. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since become established in various parts of the world, reflecting the mobility and adaptability of its bearers across different cultures and societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Given
Among Census respondents with the surname Given, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Given 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 Given surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 4,046
- Black or African American10.0% · 515
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 255
- Two or more races3.2% · 165
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 142
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Given
Given 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
#8,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,733
+65 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 479 places
2020
#6,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,146
+1,413 bearers (+37.9%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Up 2,427 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,305 | 3,668 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,784 | 3,733 | 1.27 | +65 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 479 places |
| 2020 | #6,357 | 5,146 | 1.72 | +1,413 bearers (+37.9%) | Up 2,427 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 Given 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 | #8,784 | #6,357 | 27.6% |
| Count | 3,733 | 5,146 | 37.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.72 | 35.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Given bearers went from 3,733 to 5,146 (+37.9% change). The surname moved up 2,427 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,784 to #6,357.
FAQ
Given surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Given?
Name Census estimates that about 5,901 living Americans carry the surname Given. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,084 residents.
How common is Given?
Given ranks #6,357 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,146 people with the surname Given. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,901), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Given.
Has Given become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Given went from 3,733 recorded bearers to 5,146. That is an increase of 1,413 (+37.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,784 to #6,357.
What does the Census say about the background of Given?
Among Census respondents with the surname Given, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.0%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Given in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (4,046 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Given appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Black (10.0%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Given (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 Given mean?
Derived from a nickname for a generous person or from the medieval personal name Given. 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 Given (1.72 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 Given?
You can see how common the surname Given is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.